Claressa Shields will make her long-awaited homecoming to Michigan when she takes on the number one-ranked contender, Maricela Cornejo, at Detroit's Little Caesars Arena on Saturday night.

Shields is fighting for the first time since she beat the previously undefeated Savannah Marshall in October to become the undisputed middleweight champion, adding the WBO title to the five she already held.

The 28-year-old American had originally been scheduled to fight Hanna Gabriels - who had put Shields on the canvas in their 2018 bout before losing by unanimous decision - this weekend, but will now take on late replacement, Cornejo.

The 36-year-old Washington fighter won the WBC International super-middleweight title back in 2015, while she has had three previous attempts to win a full world title, although she lost on each occasion.

When is Claressa Shields v Maricela Cornejo?

Claressa Shields will make her Michigan homecoming against Maricela Cornejo on Sunday 4th June.
 

What time is Claressa Shields v Maricela Cornejo?

The action across the card is set to get underway at 02:00 on Sunday morning, while the ringwalks for the main event fight are scheduled for approximately 04:00. Obviously, those timings may change, depending on the fights on the undercard.
 

Where is Claressa Shields v Maricela Cornejo?

Shields will take on Washington fighter Cornejo in her home state of Michigan at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
 

Can I watch Claressa Shields v Maricela Cornejo?

All of the action will be broadcast live on streaming service DAZN.
 

Are there any belts on the line for Claressa Shields v Maricela Cornejo?

Yes - all of them. Shields became the undisputed middleweight champion when she defeated Marshall.

With that victory Shields claimed the WBO strap to add to the WBA, WBC, WBF, IBF and The Ring belts she already held.

Although holding no belts of her own, Cornejo will be able to walk away with all of those should be able to inflict a first professional defeat on her opponent.
 

What is Claressa Shields' record?

The 2012 loss to Savannah Marshall in the amateur ranks remains the only blot on Claressa Shields' impressive copybook.

A double Olympic gold medallist having claimed victory in the middleweight stakes at London and Rio de Janeiro, she made her professional boxing debut in 2016 in Nevada, beating current undisputed super-middleweight world champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn by unanimous decision.

Two victories the following year set up a title fight against Nikki Adler, the defending WBC super-middleweight champion, which she claimed via technical knockout in the fifth round.

A unanimous decision victory over Hanna Gabriels in June 2018 saw her add the vacant WBA and inaugural IBF middleweight titles to her hoard.

One win in each of 2019 and 2020 gave her a professional record of 10-0, before she took Marie-Eve Dicaire's IBF belt from her the following March in a hometown fight in Flint.

A first professional contest in the UK followed in February of last year, where another unanimous decision sealed The Ring and WBF middleweight accolades.

Then of course she completed the set by settling the score with Marshall, again by unanimous decision, claiming the WBO belt to become undisputed champion.
 

What is Maricela Cornejo’s record?

Maricela Cornejo boasts a fight record of 16-5 with six of her wins coming by knockout.

The undoubted highlight of her career came back in August 2015 when she claimed the WBC International super-middleweight title with a unanimous decision win over Latasha Burton.

The first of her three title shots came in her next bout in April of the following year but she lost a split decision for the WBC strap against Kali Reis in Auckland.

Cornejo had to reel off eight wins on the bounce to get her next chance at world glory, but again suffered a decision defeat to Franchon Crews Dezum in Las Vegas in September 2018 for the vacant WBC super-middleweight title.

And she was unable to make it third time lucky when Dezum beat her for a second time a year later, when both the WBC and vacant WBA super-middleweight straps were up for grabs.

A fifth career defeat to Alma Ibarra followed in March 2021, but Cornejo goes into the weekend's bout on the back of three straight wins, having beaten Miranda Barber, Simone Aparecida da Silva and Sheila Cunha.
 

Who is on the undercard for Claressa Shields v Maricela Cornejo?

Featherweights Sarah Liegmann and Carisse Brown go toe to toe, while Joshua James Pagan and Ronnell Burnett square up in a super lightweight bout.

There are also two super welterweight contests on the card, between Ardreal Holmes and Wendy Toussaint and Marlon Harrington and Gheith Mohamed, while Da'Velle Smith and Kahydlian Woods lock horns at middleweight.

The WBC Americas silver middleweight title is also on the line this weekend when Joseph Hicks takes on Antonio Todd.
 

bet365 News Team

• Claressa Shields
• • 
  •