Claressa Shields set for heavyweight title defence against Lani Daniels

Undisputed world heavyweight champion Claressa Shields will defend her titles against New Zealand's Lani Daniels in Detroit on July 26.

Shields became the first undisputed heavyweight champion in women's boxing when she recorded a unanimous points win over compatriot Danielle Perkins in February to unify the WBA, WBO, IBF and WBC belts.

An unbeaten professional champion at super-welter, middle and super-middleweight, Shields' 16th professional win also saw her become the first undisputed world champion in three weight classes.

It will be the first time Shields has boxed three times in a calendar year since 2018 and Detroit's Little Caesars Arena will be the venue of her undisputed title fight.

The home of the Detroit Red Wings in the NHL and Detroit Pistons in the NBA, Shields last fought at the $850m arena in the summer of 2024 when knocking out WBC heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in front of 12,000 fans.

Promoter Dmitriy Salita said:

Women's boxing has grown by leaps and bounds since Claressa Shields headlined the very first women's main event on a nationally televised card.

Shields' challenger is 36-year-old former IBF heavyweight champion Daniels, who currently holds the IBF light-heavyweight title.

Turning professional in 2017, Daniels is unbeaten in her previous nine bouts with 11-2-2 (1) record, which includes her two draws in an unexpected two-fight series with Tessa Tualevao.

Daniels had been preparing to face Nailini Helu, but after that bout was cancelled, attention now turns to her opportunity of a lifetime when she faces Shields in July.

Shields' success over Perkins was tainted after she was suspended for testing positive for marijuana, but found herself cleared after the Michigan commission admitted to a “procedural error” in the collection process.

The 29-year-old subsequently had her doping suspension lifted.

Jaquob Crooke

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