Jessica McCaskill believes victory over undisputed world welterweight champion Cecilia Brækhus will propel her towards greatness in women’s boxing.
The duo clash in a rescheduled showdown on the streets of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma, on August 15, live on DAZN in the US.
The WBC/WBA 140lbs champion from Chicago is stepping up in weight in the hope of derailing Brækhus (36-0, 9 KOs) as she attempts to break Joe Louis’ longstanding record of 25 successful world title defences. McCaskill (8-2, 3 KOs) has other ideas.
“We’ll be in the Hall of Fame after winning this, that’s the big prize in the fight,’ said a confident McCaskill. “After that, we move on to more history, to bigger and more fights with the top tier names.
“The ultimate opportunity and reward in the fight is beating Cecilia, getting the belts and being in the history books. Then we’ll move on and things will be bigger and broader and we’re just continuing to look for the levels and the steps in female boxing.
“This is a massive step from even the last fight, we just want to continue to conquer every challenge that comes our way. Winning on August 15 is everything, it opens up more mega fights; the Katie Taylor rematch, Amanda Serrano, Claressa Shields at 145lbs – there’s so many doors that can be opened by beating Cecilia.
“I am not approaching the fight any differently with there being no fans,” she added. “I just feel it’s going to be a more focused and intense fight. I’ll be able to hear every word from my coach, I won’t have to bring myself down from the energy of the crowd, I’ll be able to go in focused and ready to fight.
“We’re under the Tulsa city lights and the stars in an outdoor event, it’s a spectacular venue and I’m excited to be part of it.”