Claressa Shields vs. Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse Set for Heavyweight Title Fight
Claressa Shields is reportedly moving up in weight to challenge Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse for her WBC world women’s heavyweight title.
According to Jared Schwartz of the New York Post, the fight will take place at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on July 27, and it will headline DAZN’s “Big Time Boxing USA” event.
Shields, 29, is a perfect 14-0 in her pro boxing career, and she is the reigning WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, WBF, and The Ring women’s middleweight champion.
Widely regarded as one of the best female boxers ever and nicknamed the “Greatest Woman Of All Time,” Shields won gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
She turned pro in 2016 and went on to dominate the middleweight division, winning each of her 12 fights by either unanimous decision or knockout.
In 2021, Shields forayed into the world of mixed martial arts, joining the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and going 1-1 in her first two fights.
Shields refocused on boxing, but after beating Maricela Cornejo by unanimous decision in June 2023 to retain her middleweight titles, she returned to the cage this year, defeating Kelsey DeSantis by split decision at PFL vs. Bellator in February.
Now, Shields is set to box for the first time in a year, and it could prove to be the toughest challenge of her career thus far.
Lepage-Joanisse, a 28-year-old from Quebec, Canada, became world champion for the first time in March when she beat Abril Argentina Vidal for the vacant WBC women’s heavyweight title.
It was an improbable accomplishment for Lepage-Joanisse, who was out of boxing for over five years following a loss to Alejandra Jiménez in 2017.
READ MORE :Claressa Shields returns to Little Caesars Arena to challenge…
Since returning in 2023, Lepage-Joanisse is a perfect 4-0, bringing her career record to 7-1 with two wins by way of knockout.
While Shields is a far more accomplished fighter than Lepage-Joanisse, it is tough to say how the move up in weight will impact her in terms of punching power and stamina.
Even so, the pressure will be firmly on Shields’ shoulders, and Lepage-Joanisse will have the opportunity to score the victory of a lifetime.
