Women's heavyweight title holder Claressa Shields, who has competed at junior middleweight and super middleweight for most of her career, now believes that the heavyweight division is where she truly belongs. The 29-year-old is gearing up to become a three-division undisputed champion as she faces Danielle Perkins this Sunday at the Dort Financial Center in her hometown of Flint, Michigan.
Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and former undisputed champion in lower weight classes, feels that she was fighting below her natural strength for too long. "I was fighting at 154lbs for the history. I fought at 160lbs for the history. I fought at 168 for the history," she stated. "I'm at 175lbs because I feel like this was the weight class I was supposed to be at from the beginning."
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Earlier this week, Shields spoke with BoxingScene and made it clear that she sees boxing as a sport without gender divisions. Channeling her inner Mike Tyson with some classic rhythmic trash talk, she declared, "My defense is impeccable. You know my speed is untraceable. You know I am punching like a heavyweight and I am not a real heavyweight. You know what is going on."
Her opponent, Danielle Perkins, hails from Brooklyn, New York, and now calls Houston home. Despite turning pro in 2020 and earning accolades as an amateur with both a bronze and gold in international competition, Perkins has yet to go the full 10 rounds in a bout. Shields acknowledged Perkins' natural aptitude for the heavyweight division, adding, "We are not benching (bench pressing) right now. She might be stronger. I can't hold her 90-pound dumbbell, but I can do 50. Just know I have prepared over time for Danielle."
Image Credit: WBC