Claressa Shields faces Lani Daniels in Detroit, Michigan in July
Claressa Shields expresses confidence ahead of her next fight with Lani Daniels on July 26 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI. With just over a month to go, the fighters previewed their bout and went face-to-face at the press conference.
Unbeaten Shields (16-0, 3 KOs) makes her first defense of the undisputed heavyweight title. In her previous outing in front of her hometown crowd in February, the 30-year-old Flint, MI native scored a unanimous decision over Danielle Perkins. In her most recent ring appearance in Detroit last July, the three-division undisputed champion TKO’d Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in the second round.
Ahead of their clash, Shields said she doesn’t think there’s an opponent who can defeat her. Daniels, who makes her U.S. debut, promised a “mean fight.”
“I’m so happy to be here,” Claressa Shields said. “I want to give the honor and thank you to God for making this happen. I want to thank Papoose for his support. It means a lot.”
“I fought here in Detroit last year when I knocked out Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse for the heavyweight title. Never in a million years did I think I would be fighting at heavyweight. I remember when it was first announced last year that I would be competing at heavyweight, it got a really big buzz. That’s when I took notice of all the other fighters at heavyweight for me to face.”
“The girls at the heavyweight division are not afraid of me, which is good because the girls who were a little bit smaller were intimidated. Now at heavyweight, I am getting the bigger fights I want. I’m coming off a victory against an opponent who was highly avoided from everyone in the heavyweight division in Danielle Perkins. The only person who didn’t avoid Danielle Perkins was me. I went in there and whooped Danielle Perkins.”
“At first, I thought this fight wasn’t going to be made. I got an email from my manager Mark Taffet, and he said she didn’t want to fight. So, I DM’d Daniels asking if she was scared of me. She said she was a little scared of me, but she can beat me.”
“I don’t think there’s a woman in the world that could beat me.”
‘It’s going to be a mean fight’
Two-division champion Daniels (11-2-2, 1 KO) of New Zealand currently holds the IBF title at light heavyweight. The 36-year-old, who previously held the IBF title at heavyweight, looks to get on the top of the divisions, claiming all four major straps.
“We welcome everyone who came along to support this fight,” Lani Daniels said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be here. I’d like to thank Salita Promotions and Mark Taffet. Thank you, Claressa, for agreeing to fight me. Everyone knows who Claressa is, and it’s an honor to share the ring with her.”
“My team and I respect boxing, and we respect you. We are planning to come here next month and win. I’ve been preparing the best I can to give a mean fight. I know it’s going to be a mean fight.”
Among the bouts featured on the Shields vs Daniels undercard, former title challenger Licia Boudersa (23-3-2, 4 KOs) of France takes on French-born Canadian Olympian Caroline Veyre (9-1). The pair square off in a WBC featherweight title eliminator.
Plus, Samantha Worthington (23-8, 13 KOs) of Lexington, KY and Victoire Piteau (14-2, 2 KOs) of France go head-to-head at super lightweight, with the WBA interim belt at stake.
