Thibeault used her height, reach, and quicker hands to control the action from distance. She consistently landed the cleaner punches while forcing the Australian champion to work through incoming fire to get close enough to attack.
Robinson pressed continuously, turning portions of the bout into a physical battle. Both women finished bloodied, with the new champion suffering a heavy nosebleed after a clash of heads.
Blood streaming down her face created a dramatic scene in the later rounds, but it did little to change the fight. Robinson absorbed punishment while continuing to press, yet she never found a sustained answer for Thibeault’s southpaw boxing.
The shutout win moves Thibeault to 5-0 with three knockouts. Her amateur career included a world championship, Pan American titles, Commonwealth gold, plus two Olympic appearances.
Emotion ran high afterward as Thibeault held her newly won belts while still covered in blood, sharing a respectful moment with Robinson, who dropped to 12-4.
Thibeault now controls one half of the middleweight championship picture. Kaye Scott owns the WBA and WBC belts and faces Claressa Shields on August 15 in Atlanta.
If Shields wins, an undisputed championship fight with Thibeault becomes an obvious possibility. The bigger question is timing. Five professional fights is very little preparation for someone with Shields’ championship experience, leaving MVP to decide how quickly it wants to make that jump.
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