The American 75 kilogram boxer took just three seconds to end the challenge of Uganda's East Africa champion Hellen Baleke with an opening long overhand right punch paving the way for Baleke's corner to throw in the towel.

The referee accepted the decision allowing the 19-year-old youth world champion to exit the ring just 11 seconds after entering.

Shields' victory was a sentiment to the United States' domination on day four of the World Championships with all four boxers progressing to the next stage of the competition.

Heidi Henriksen only joined the US squad this year but, following her success at the national level, was given the nod to compete for her country at these Championships.

The faith in her paid dividends today as she overcame another Ugandan, Diana Turyanabo, in the under 81kg division to move within one fight of a bronze medal.

London 2012 bronze medallist Marlen Esparza proved why she is a top contender for gold in the under 51kg event as she edged past Kazakhstan's Merjen Ishanguliyeva to book a place in the quarter-finals.

Ishanguliyeva was impressive in the opening round but Esparza gritted her teeth and battled back in the remainder of the bout to steal the win.

Two-time American Women's Continental champion Danyelle Wolf struck déjà vu in the 68kg class as she once again got the better of Canadian Myriam Da Silva in a repeat of the American Women's Continental Championships final in Mexico earlier this year.

Ariane Fortin, who will be hoping to avenge her loss to England's Savannah Marshall in the final of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, moved a step closer to the final with victory at the World Championships in Jeju ©Getty Images



The was better luck for Canada in the under 75kg class where two-time world champion Ariane Fortin, who had to beat compatriot and three-time world champion Mary Spence to book her space in the squad, got the better of Mongolia's Asian Games silver medallist Undram Erdenesoyol.

Fortin took silver behind England's defending world champion Savannah Marshall at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July and will once again be hoping to nail a spot on the podium at the World Championships.

She will have a tough task accomplishing this feat, however, with the 75kg division proving one of the most hotly contested at the Championships.

This was captured by The Netherlands' defending European champion Nouchka Fontjin as she put in a superb display to beat Chinese Taipei's Flora Dara Shen and mix her name among the likes of Shields, Fortin and Marshall.

Turkey's Emine Bozduman provided one of the shocks of the day in the over 81kg category as she avenged her defeat in the semi-finals of the European Continental Championships to Hungary's two-time world champion Maria Kovacs to secure victory in Jeju today.

Kovacs, who would go on to take the European title, was favourite to secure her third world title in South Korea but could not see past the persistence of the 22-year-old Turk.

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