Claressa Shields defends her title in front of a record crowd in Detroit – a historic evening for women’s boxing and her home city.
Claressa Shields remains the measure of all things in women’s boxing. The 30-year-old defended her undisputed heavyweight status against Lani Daniels from New Zealand at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on July 26 – in front of the largest crowd in the city’s boxing history. 15,600 fans celebrated Shields’ clear points victory and made the evening a milestone for the sport. Particularly noteworthy: more than 70 percent of the tickets were bought by women – a strong signal for the growing popularity of women’s boxing. Promoter Dmitriy Salita spoke after the fight of “proof of the new age in boxing”.
Shields, the first female boxer from the USA to win two Olympic gold medals, has achieved several historic achievements in her professional career: two undisputed world titles in various weight classes and now the establishment of Detroit as a center for women’s boxing. The march-in with rap star Rick Ross underlined the connection between sport and pop culture.
In addition to the Undisputed champion, talents such as Samantha Worthington and Caroline Veyre, who compete under Shields’ T-Rex Promotions, also shone. The crowning glory: Shields was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame directly after the fight.
