Claressa Shields is no stranger to making boxing history. A two-time Olympic gold medalist, she became the sport’s first two-division undisputed champion, male or female. It seems she has no intention of stopping there. The Flint, Michigan-born champion may now be aiming for the unprecedented achievement of becoming an undisputed champion in a third division.
Shields, who returned to MMA in February last year, surprised everyone with a move to the light heavyweight/heavyweight division. She fought Vanessa Lepage Joanisse for the WBO light heavyweight and WBC and WBF heavyweight titles. Latest reports suggest the five-division champion will begin the year with a title defense. Scheduled on February 2, she will face the Brooklyn-born heavyweight fighter Danielle Perkins. If Shields wins the fight, she could claim the historic undisputed title in the division and achieve a feat comparable to Oleksandr Usyk‘s, who ended a 25-year drought among men. But is the road so easy for Claressa Shields?
Claressa Shields is close to achieving a historic milestone
Sharing a few details about the tickets, Claressa Shields sounded excited about her return to the ring this February. “I’LL BE FIGHTING IN MY HOMETOWN OF FLINT, MI, ON FEB 2nd AT @dortfinancialcenter! Get your tickets now on Etix.com!” she said in her Instagram post.
Discussing the prospect of Shields joining the ranks of living legends like Oleksandr Usyk, her promoter, Dmitriy Salita, shared his thoughts with Sky Sports. “What sets Claressa apart from everyone else in boxing—past or present—is her groundbreaking achievements as a pioneer in women’s sports. She has been the first to accomplish many feats, breaking barriers and opening doors for equality while remaining utterly dominant in the ring,” said Salita in the exclusive conversation.
A victory over Perkins would significantly bolster Shields’ chances of achieving a feat yet to be accomplished. To date, women’s boxing has never crowned an undisputed heavyweight champion.
42-year-old Danielle Perkins, a former amateur world champion, turned professional four years ago. However, following the 2021 fight against Monika Harrison, she went on a long break and returned only in March 2024. Currently, she holds a professional record of five fights, with two victories achieved by early stoppages.
But the bigger question remains: will it be easy for Claressa Shields to claim the title of undisputed heavyweight champion?
Will the road to glory prove that straightforward?
The fight at Flint’s Dort Financial Center features the following heavyweight belts at stake: WBC, WBA (vacant), WBO (vacant), IBF (vacant), and WBF. However, in the four-belt era, the WBA must be part of the triumvirate of WBC, WBO, and IBF to make the title undisputed. Reportedly, the Panama-based World Boxing Association (WBA) has yet to award a heavyweight title to a female boxer.
An interesting anomaly has come to light. The poster featured on Shields’ Instagram referred to the February 2 battle as the ‘undisputed heavyweight world championship’. The one on the WBC website labeled it the ‘unified world heavyweight championship’.
Essentially, without the WBA belt, the fight with Perkins may be confined to the unified championship. However, some reports suggest that a workaround is being considered. There’s a possibility that the WBA may, as a first, establish the heavyweight division for women. Once the WBA enters the picture, Shields could potentially stake her claim and become the first-ever women’s undisputed heavyweight champion.
What’s your take? Between Perkins and Shields, who do you pick to win on February 2?
