Jessica McCaskill shocked the boxing world in August when she moved up in weight to dethrone Cecilia Braekhus to become the undisputed women's welterweight champion and snapped Braekhus' undefeated streak.
McCaskill (9-2, 3 KOs), also a former unified junior welterweight titleholder, and Braekhus are running it back on Saturday night from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, live on DAZN.
Before the third woman in the four-belt era to be undisputed champion puts her gold on the line, McCaskill talks with DAZN News about whether Braekhus underestimated her the first time around, why the rematch is so personal, and a potential lucrative fight with Katie Taylor.
(Editor's note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)
DAZN News: Cecilia really poo-pooed your win in August. She thought she won the fight, or it should have been a draw. When she comes out and says that, what do you make of her saying that? And do you think she isn't giving you the credit you deserve?
Jessica McCaskill: She's trying to convince herself that she has any chance for this fight. She's trying to convince herself that she should even still be boxing, and I think she's just done. She seems so happy for us to return her belts and for the fight to be over and kind of a relief of like, 'Man, I don't have to do this anymore'. That's why her talk about retirement is so convincing because I feel like she really meant it. And that's fine. She could retire after this fight. Take the loss and go retire, and then we'll move on to the next thing.
DN: You feel like she underestimated you?
JM: Everybody underestimates me. One of the things that my coach Rick Ramos says all the time is that I translate bad over tape. So if you're watching old fights or mitt sessions, I don't translate very well. You can't see power just over the screen. You have to feel it. I don't think anybody knows what it's like to be in the ring with me.
DN: What do you make of the Clarissa Shields situation because she said she went shopping around to various outlets, and they couldn't get nothing done and had to go to the pay-per-view route? She was talking about a lot about pay and women should be paid more. Why do you think women's fighters are so vastly underpaid because, more often than not, they're putting out more exciting fights than the men, and yet men are getting paid more money while women are getting underpaid and doing the same amount of work?
JM: I feel like you have to be an all-around person. Your character, your personality, your work ethic, your training, your performance in the ring, and your boxing knowledge. All of that has to be really high for you to be able to get those decent paydays. You have to say no to bad paydays. There's girls out here taking $8,000 for a fight or just doing ridiculous fights where they know they're going to get hurt, and then they're out of the game for however long, and then they try to get back in it. It's really diluting the ability of the female pool. When you're doing things that you shouldn't be doing, whether it's taking a fight, you shouldn't be taking and getting injured or taking money that you shouldn't be taking. Now the girls under us in a different generation, they're coming in with lowball prices thinking that's how it should be. It's not how it should be. You just have to be that all-around fighter. Don't give it a terrible show, or don't be the person that when the promoter calls, you're not in the gym. I don't know what that means. I basically live in the gym. Don't have a poor attitude and argue with your Twitter followers and expect that people are going to like you and people are going to try to pay you money. It's ridiculous. They won't do it.
DN: Let's talk a little more about the pay. What is it going to take for more networks and more promotional outlets to give women the spotlight that they do deserve?
JM: It's going to take some of the biggest names, (like) the Ryan Garcia's and the Canelo's. The biggest name in female boxing, they don't have personality. You said I have personality. You don't see Katie Taylor out there talking with people. I don't even think she runs her social media. She seems very robotic in person. It might take some of those other people that have amazing personalities to really push and step up and kind of advocate for female boxing.
DN: Are you that person, considering you are only the third woman to become an undisputed champion. Do you feel like someone like yourself could be that person to help push women's boxing to the forefront?
JM: Yes. When I beat Cecilia again, you guys will see that.
DN: Why is this fight so personal because you're pretty chill and pretty laid back? I've talked to Cecilia the same amount of times I've talked to you, and she's always been pretty mild-mannered. What is it about her that brings it out in you? What about you brings it out in her?
JM: For me, they crown her "The First Lady". Her resume isn't impressive. I would have probably knocked out half or more of the girls on her resume. She has zero personality. She doesn't promote the fights. Like I said before, you have to be completely well-rounded. I'm showing myself in the gym. I'm showing my new mouth guards. I'm showing my hotel room. We're doing e-pressers. I made pants with my followers' names on it because I wanted to bring them to the fight with me. I'm doing a lot to keep the people interested and keep the fans interested. Whereas other people just think I'm here and so you have to worship me, I'm just in this place, and you guys do all the work. If I had to sell tickets, I would be out there selling tickets if I have to. People think they're too good for that stuff. I don't put myself above anybody.
DN: What does a win mean for you in the grand scheme things on Saturday night?
JM: Definitely Hall of Fame. I think we've already established that with the first fight. Being able to stop Cecilia from breaking Joe Lewis' record and beating the only person that beat an undisputed person and stop her winning streak altogether. You spoke about Katie Taylor earlier, and they want to put that fight together. There's a lot of maybes, ins and outs, and I say, let's do it. Let's do a rematch. This will be the first time two females make a million dollars. This is big stuff. You know all of Ireland wants to see it. Everybody across the sea wants to see it. It gives hope to other fighters that are under me that they won't have to take those crappy paydays and that they can expect to make big money in boxing.
DN: When you envision the fight in your head when it comes to Saturday night, how do you win the fight and remain the undisputed women's welterweight champion?
JM: I'm telling you when I sit here, and I run through combinations in my head, I just keep seeing her fall. I'm going to be dead honest. I keep seeing her fall. I see her quitting on her stool. I see her giving up and just know that she's out of it.