‘Easy option’ – Katie Taylor’s P4P rival Claressa Shields not happy with Braekhus v Taylor talk

Claressa Shields has hit out at Cecilia Braekhus for going down the Katie Taylor route.

The American believes the Norwegian has opted for the easier of the possible mega fights on offer.

Quite aptly named ‘The First Lady’, Braekhus was the dominant figure in female fighting before the recent revolution – which has been lead by Taylor and Shields.

However, despite being an undefeated undisputed champion the 38-year-old hasn’t enjoyed the same kind of profile or pay as the two Olympic gold medal winners.

In a bid to change that she has been targeting a clash with the American or Irish fighter over the last 12 months. The welterweight queen had the option of moving up to face three weight world champ Shields or dropping down to meet Taylor at a catchweight.

Signing with Matchroom late last year all ensured Braekhus, who has been a pro since since 2007 and a world champ since 2009, was on a Taylor collision course, indeed the pair are rumoured to have agreed to fight this Summer.

Shields isn’t overly happy with the news and believes Braekhus has taken the easy option with regards to a super fight.

The two time Olympic gold medal winner accuses the Colombian born Norwegian of choosing getting out pointed by Taylor over getting stopped by her.

Shields expects Braekhus to go in that direction – and she expects Taylor to win that fight.

“The thing with Cecilia is if she wants to fight, we can fight — we’ve got a million reasons to make the fight happen,” Shields said to Dagbladet.

“Braekhus told me at 168 that my weight was a problem. Okay: I won titles at 168, I became undisputed at 160, now I’m at 154.

“Now, you don’t hear about her no more. She’s not calling me out. So my thing is, look, they can think what they want to think. Braekhus don’t have skills like me. I would school her. I would knock her out.

“That’s why she’s going down to 140 to fight against Katie Taylor. Like, first of all, you (Braekhus) are undisputed champion at 147 — for years. What reason do you have to go down to 140? [Because] it’s the easier fight. It would be undisputed against undisputed, her against Katie Taylor.

“In my opinion, Katie Taylor is going to beat her, but she will not knock Cecilia Braekhus out. And Cecilia can live with that. Cecilia would not be able to live with me going in there, coming down three weight classes when I’m supposed to be drained and tired, but fighting way better than her, and I’m from the new era. She wouldn’t be able to deal with that.”