Tamm Thibeault won the IBF and WBO middleweight titles in just her fifth pro fight on Saturday night, taking care of business in a shutout decision win over Desley Robinson.
At 29, Thibeault still competes in amateur boxing, just fighting at the World Boxing Cup in China from June 15-21. If there were any questions about her one-sided smashing of Johnson, they would be about Thibeault’s stamina, and there is some speculation that the recent amateur schedule might have affected her in that regard.
Thibeault went past the fifth round for the first time as a professional, improving to 5-0 (3 KO) and never finding herself in any danger of losing a round, let alone the fight. But you could also tell it was her first time going 10 rounds on fight night, under the TV lights, the pressure on, all that. She did tire over the fight, and also was pouring blood from her nose after an accidental clash of heads. That lasted several rounds, and it was another lesson, which is that a lot of things can go wrong out there that can also effect stamina.
Is Claressa Shields next for Tamm Thibeault?
The obvious big fight — really, the only truly big fight — for Thibeault is against the self-styled “GWOAT,” Claressa Shields.
MVP managed to get The Ring to “sanction” the Johnson vs Thibeault fight for the vacant Ring Magazine middleweight title, just ahead of Shields’ return to the division, which will come on Saturday, August 15, in Atlanta.
Not to give too much of a spoiler, but Shields will be beating Kaye Scott to win the WBC and WBA middleweight titles on that night. Shields (18-0, 3 KO) has been so dominant over her nine-year pro career that you almost never feel an opponent has so much as a one percent shot of beating her, outside of Shields breaking her ankle or something. Even then, she’d probably beat most of her opponents pretty clearly, so long as she could stay on her feet through the final bell.
The “higher” weights — 154 and above — in women’s boxing just don’t have much to offer Shields at this point. She’s won world titles from 154 up to basically imaginary “light heavyweight” and “heavyweight” divisions, which were really just marketing tools for Shields fights that otherwise wouldn’t have been remotely interesting.
Thibeault is the real deal, though, and she might be the first fighter since Savannah Marshall I’ve felt has even a remote shot of beating Shields. I gave the version of Marshall that Shields faced in 2022 about a 15 or 20 percent chance of upsetting Claressa. If Thibeault continues to improve over the next year, maybe two, I might give her a better chance.
But Shields is a big, big ask. She hasn’t gotten to where she is by some fluke or mistake. Whatever you think of the field of opponents she’s faced, the fact remains that she’s been significantly better than all of them.
Thibeault looks bigger, stronger, she’s a little younger, all that, but Claressa is a smart, experienced boxer with fast hands, fast reflexes, and she’s usually about three steps ahead of even the best opponents with her thinking in the ring. She’s an excellent boxer both physically and mentally in the ring. She has been better than every opponent by some distance.
When you watch Thibeault, you see things that could, in theory, give Shields problems. Thibeault is a strong, sharp puncher. She’s physically strong, period. She’s a southpaw, she’s well-schooled, has better fundamentals than the vast majority. Seems smart. Seems like she’s got some toughness. Also doesn’t seem afraid of getting physical and doesn’t seem easily rattled.
But would all of that hold against someone on Shields’ level? That’s the question. And unfortunately for Thibeault, there isn’t some path to take to better prepare for Claressa Shields. There’s nobody else close to that level. Nothing she can learn against Maricela Cornejo or Melinda Watpool is going to truly prepare Thibeault for Shields.
The dates line up for the two of them to potentially have an undisputed championship fight, but it is also worth noting that so far, Shields and Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions have not gotten along very well. Some hatchets would have to be at least temporarily buried for the fight to come together at all.
If a deal can be worked out, I think the cold reality is that Thibeault may not be able to get much more ready for Shields than she already is, and that maybe you strike while the iron is potentially as hot as it’s going to get. If not, Thibeault will probably experience a lot of the same frustrations Shields has over the years, struggling to find credible and challenging opposition.
