Strikeforce hasn’t discussed contract with Shields
If Strikeforce has any intent on re-signing Jake Shields, it may want to call his manager. The Strikeforce middleweight champion’s…
If Strikeforce has any intent on re-signing Jake Shields, it may want to call his manager. The Strikeforce middleweight champion’s camp has not discussed a new contract with his promoter since dominating Dan Henderson during a five-round decision last month.
“The time is ticking,” Shields’ father and manager, Jack, said Monday. “We’d like to move forward as soon as possible. I’d like to be negotiating right now.”
Jack Shields said he was told by Strikeforce that its ambitious schedule of four events in six weeks was getting in the way of “serious negotiations” and that he would hear from them this week.
Yet one source with knowledge of Strikeforce’s thinking regarding the 31-year-old Shields told SI.com that the promotion has discussed releasing him outright before an exclusive negotiating period concludes three weeks from now. Once that expires, Strikeforce would also have the ability to match any offer made on Shields, whose 25-4-1 record features 14 consecutive wins since 2004.
For now, both sides are in a holding pattern until Strikeforce and Shields move forward.
“Jake has worked really hard for 11 years,” his father said. “When he got in the sport, there wasn’t any money. One time he fought in a tent, another time he fought in a barn. He did it for the love of the sport, but he’s worked really hard at it and I’d like to see him do well.”