Claressa Shields seeks WBC heavyweight crown
Two-time Olympic gold medalist and multi-champion Claressa Shields will move up a division to challenge World Boxing Council heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse on July 27.
Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) and Lepage-Joanisse (7-1, 2 KOs) of Quebec, Canada, will headline a boxing card at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena, where nearly 12,000 fans watched the Flint fighter defend the undisputed middleweight title against No.1 contender Maricela Cornejo a year ago.
The Michigander won gold medals in the middleweight division at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, making her the first female boxer from the United States to win consecutive Olympic medals.
She has also been a middleweight and super middleweight champion, showing her great quality and superiority in each of these divisions.
Valiant Vanessa comes to this fight after being crowned WBC heavyweight champion by defeating Argentina’s Abril Vidal by decision in March.