Boxing Superstar Claressa Shields to Challenge Heavyweight Champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse
Three-division women’s champion and current undisputed middleweight titleholder Claressa Shields will move up to light heavyweight to face reigning heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse on July 27 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Despite her impressive amateur and professional accomplishments, including becoming the only two-division undisputed champion in women’s boxing history, Shields has struggled to generate the same level of attention and viewership as contemporaries like Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, and Mikaela Mayer. A victory in a fourth weight class could further elevate her already-illustrious career.
“The Queen of Boxing is back!” Shields said in a statement. “I’m so excited to return to the ring, especially after my MMA victory in February. I’m eager to bring another entertaining fight to Little Caesars Arena, where 12,000 fans filled the arena last time.”
Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) will take on Canada’s Lepage-Joanisse (7-1, 2 KOs) in an edition of “Big Time Boxing USA” that will be streamed live on DAZN. Lepage-Joanisse lost her heavyweight title challenge in 2017 but regained the championship in 2023 via a unanimous decision over Abril Argentina Vidal.
Elevating Shields’ Illustrious Career
“From the beginning of her career, Claressa has been on a quest to make her story a part of history,” said Shields’ promoter, Dmitriy Salita.
Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, is coming off an MMA victory over Kelsey DeSantis in February, but hasn’t competed in the boxing ring since defending her middleweight titles against Maricela Cornejo in June 2023.
“It doesn’t matter to me whether it’s Claressa or someone else,” Lepage-Joanisse said. “My life is all about challenges. I’ve always faced them head-on, and I intend to keep it that way.”
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