Claressa Shields continues to bring hope to hometown of Flint, Michigan

Claressa Shields is one of a kind. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, a two-time undisputed champion as a professional boxer, and, in her last fight, she became a heavyweight (and light heavyweight) titleholder. And, The Fire Inside, a movie based on her life could end up in the mix for the Oscars. 

Shields will face undefeated Danielle Perkins in a heavyweight bout at Dort Financial Center in Flint, Michigan. Shields will look to defend her WBC heavyweight title, with the vacant IBF and WBO heavyweight titles on the line as well. 

Shields, 29, will once again return home. This will be her second fight in Flint, Michigan, though most of her career has taken place in nearby Detroit, Michigan. Shields, who turned professional nearly nine years ago in November 2016, has been part of a change in women’s boxing. Shields’ next mission is fighting fellow American heavyweight, Perkins, the 42-year-old from Houston by way of Brooklyn, New York. 

“I am super excited to be able to face Danielle Perkins,” Shields said. “My last opponent, Vanessa [Lepage-Joanisse], was someone we took very seriously. Now, we have a better opponent in Danielle. She has a decorated background and is tall and big. I look forward to having an all-out fight with her.”

Something not often talked about with Shields is her optimism and hope. People in major cities see boxers from their areas make it big. Flint has had its fair share of boxing success with Shields and the Dirrell brothers, Andre and Anthony. 

“What better time to have a fight in Flint than after The Fire Inside has come out all over the country?,” Shields said. “I just want to show that people from Flint can actually make it.”

As for Perkins, Shields calmly stated an old adage for what she expects will happen come fight night.

“The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Lepage-Joanisse made a pretty big noise when she fell,” Shields said. “I look forward to making Danielle Perkins make a bigger noise when she falls.”

Shields also thinks Perkins, holding a record of 5-0 (2 KOs) might be the one who is overlooking her. 

“I’m not overlooking Danielle,” Shields said. “In a strange way, I think she is overlooking me. She thinks that Lepage-Joanisse didn’t have a chance and that she was slow. Lepage-Joanisse was the heavyweight world champion. Lepage-Joanisse had 12 weeks to prepare for me and called me out. I didn’t plan to move up to heavyweight.”

For Dmitriy Salita, Shields’ promoter, this upcoming fight is yet another big milestone as he believes Shields will make history by becoming a three-division undisputed champion later this year. 

“This fight marks another historic chapter for Claressa Shields as she goes for the undisputed heavyweight world title,” Salita said. “Shields will challenge to become the first fighter ever to be an undisputed world champion in three weight divisions.”

Lucas Ketelle took an unconventional path to boxing, eventually finding his stride in gyms and media. For the past decade, he has hosted the “Lukie Boxing” podcast, filmed training camps for fighters like Arnold Barboza Jnr, Mikey Garcia and Caleb Plant, and worked with top professionals such as Mike Bazzel. Ketelle is also an author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for ProBox TV, BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @LukieBoxing.