Claressa Shields returns to Little Caesars Arena to challenge for heavyweight title in July

Claressa Shields will look to make more fighting history when she returns for another boxing match in Detroit in July.

Shields, the Olympic gold medalist from Flint who is currently the undisputed middleweight champion, will move up two weight classes to challenge Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse of Quebec for the WBC women’s heavyweight championship on July 27 at Little Caesars Arena. The vacant WBO light heavyweight title will also be on the line.

The WBO light heavyweight and WBC heavyweight belt both represent the 175-pound weight class in the respective boxing organizations.

The fight will be the main event for the sports streaming platform DAZN’s “Big Time Boxing USA” event. Tickets are on sale now.

Shields’ most recent fight was also at LCA in June 2023, where she picked up a win via unanimous decision against Maricela Cornejo to defend her middleweight crown in the 10-round bout. Shields also won an MMA fight as a part of the PFL league in February, but will make her return to the sport where she made her name.

“The Queen of Boxing is back! I’m so excited to return to the ring, especially after my MMA victory in February,” Shields said in a released statement. “I’m excited to bring another entertaining fight to Little Caesars Arena. Last time 12,000 fans filled the arena, and this time we’re going to lift the roof off the building! This is a significant and unique fight where I am moving up two weight classes against a very tough champion in my quest to become world champion in my fourth weight division.”

Shields (14-0) will look to continue to add more belts to what has been an illustrious career already. She is the middleweight champion for the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO and is the only women’s boxer in history to be an undisputed champion in two weight classes simultaneously after she won the light middleweight belt in 2021. She also won the WBC and IBC super middleweight belt in 2017.

“It’s an exciting time for women’s sports, and I thank DAZN for providing a global platform for women’s boxing,” Shields continued in her statement. “I plan to do what I do best: bring that GWOAT energy and continue putting women’s boxing on the map.”

She’s challenging Lepage-Joanisse (7-1), who successfully challenged for the heavyweight belt with a unanimous decision win over Abril Argentina Vidal in March. Lepage-Joanisse began her professional career in 2016, but took a six-year break from fighting before returning in 2023 and returning to the top of her weight class in a year’s time. This is Lepage-Joanisse’s first title defense.

“It doesn’t matter to me whether it’s Claressa or someone else. My life is all about challenges,” Lepage-Joanisse said in the released statement. “I’ve always faced them head-on, and I intend to keep it that way.”

This will be the second fight at LCA after Shields made history with the first boxing match in the home of the Detroit Red Wings and Pistons last year.

“As Detroit’s premier live entertainment company, 313 Presents is excited to bring boxing back to Little Caesars Arena in partnership with Salita Promotions (Shields’ promoter),” Howard Handler, president of 313 Presents, said in the released statement. “Detroit’s boxing scene has a rich history that has produced and embraced numerous champions and last year’s event proved monumental as we look to build upon the amazing entertainment and alive moments we bring to our world-class venues. Claressa Shields proved she can pack a punch as well as a crowd. July 27 should deliver another action-packed night of boxing.”