Jessica McCaskill finds that her imagination is running wild these days.
And for good reason.
After reaching a boxing pinnacle in the form of becoming the undisputed welterweight world champion, “CasKILLA” has been looking for ways to top her four-title crown.
“I want to do things that people haven’t done before,” McCaskill tells DAZN over the phone Tuesday evening. “I would love an undisputed vs. undisputed fight. I would love a fight — like (manager) Rick Ramos says all the time — on a yacht or on top of a building, a skyscraper or something.
“Just something that someone has not done before because the whole point of being punched in the face on a regular basis is to set the standard high, break barriers and create history,” she continues. “I want to think out of this world, so that’s kind of the plan.”
When looking at a possible undisputed vs. undisputed clash, there’s McCaskill, undisputed lightweight world champion Katie Taylor, and undisputed junior middleweight and middleweight world champion Claressa Shields.
McCaskill is game for fighting either, but thinks another opponent might be more reachable at this point.
“I know that Claressa has had a very small conversation with Rick about possibilities,” McCaskill shares. “She’s got a lot of things on her plate right now at her weight class and I don’t know if it will ever happen. Realistically after this fight, we’re talking about going do to 140 (pounds) for (unified junior welterweight world champion) Chantelle Cameron. So, there could be something there. I don’t think she’ll get undisputed before we get to her, so I don’t know how realistic that is right now. But that’s the whole point … make it bigger and bigger until you’re able to make it happen.”
Before McCaskill can piece together any of those ideas, the 37-year-old will defend her undisputed titles against Alma Ibarra on Saturday night. It’s part of an action-packed fight card headlined by Jesse Rodriguez vs. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai from Tech Port Arena in San Antonio, Tex., and live on DAZN.
Admittedly, Ibarra wasn’t the mega opponent that McCaskill dreamed up. But the Chicago native is ready to handle her business, nonetheless.
“We wanted to fight Chantelle Cameron the last time she was up and I don’t know if Matchroom had the conversation with her, I don’t know if she declined it but she took the fight with (Victoria) Bustos (in May),” McCaskill reveals. “Now we’re in a situation where we had to take a fight that we’re not exactly looking to take, but we’re obviously wanting to stay busy. You kind of have to do what you want to do.”
That being said, McCaskill (11-2, 4 KOs) isn’t taking the challenge lightly.
“She fights forward, Mexican style so both of us being come-forward fighters,” McCaskill says of Ibarra (10-1, 5 KOs), “I know there’s going to be a lot of action.”
It has been nearly two years since McCaskill captured the undisputed crown from then-undefeated legend Cecilia Braekhus in August 2020. When Braekhus openly questioned that majority decision loss, McCaskill responded by defeating the icon via unanimous decision in March 2021.
She then produced a seventh-round TKO of Canadian Kandi Wyatt in December to defend her four welterweight world straps.
A win over Ibarra and McCaskill will go back to plotting on how to top undisputed glory. She was part of DAZN’s broadcast team in a raucous Madison Square Garden this past April to commentate on the Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano super fight and is willing to go up or down in weight to secure her own historic bouts.
“We started at 135,” McCaskill says. “There’s possibilities at 154. It’s not really all about the weight. It’s more about making the smart decisions about what opponent you’ll take at certain weights.”
For McCaskill, it's take care of Ibarra and let the deep introspective dive continue.
“The focus is always going to be where is this sport taking me and what is my ultimate path? What barriers can I break?” McCaskill questions. “It just starts with me getting a title fight and then winning my first belt and then become unified and then becoming undisputed. You break those barriers and then you have to dream up more things.
"I’m looking for what the next smartest thing is. When it comes, it comes and I’ll be ready."