Claressa Shields makes boxing history as 1st-ever female undisputed heavyweight champion

Boxer Claressa Shields made history in the ring on Sunday night. 

Shields dropped Danielle Perkins to become the first-ever undisputed women’s heavyweight champion. 

She is also the first boxer, male or female, to be the undisputed champion in three different weight classes in the four-belt era. Shields did so in junior middle weight and middle weight prior to this feat. 

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Claressa Shields trains during an open media workout at Downtown Boxing Gym in Detroit on Jan. 7. (IMAGN)

Perkins was undefeated up until the time Shields landed a right hook in the final seconds of the 10th and final round. That punch, which slumped Perkins for some seconds before she walked to a corner on the canvas, cemented history for Shields. 

Perkins is now 5-1 for her career with two knockouts, while Shields remains undefeated at 16-0 with three knockouts. 

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After the match, Shields was excited about the win, but she revealed that she would actually need shoulder surgery after suffering an injury before the fight. She noted not being able to lift her left arm earlier in the week. 

“I actually think I’m going to have to have surgery on my left arm. I tore my labrum last week, so the fight almost didn’t happen,” Shields said, via ESPN. “I didn’t want to let Flint down, but I really couldn’t use my jab the way that I wanted to, but I did the best that I could. I iced it, I did therapy, and now I think I’m going to have a shoulder surgery.”

Claressa Shields, left, fights women’s WBC champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse during the main event fight at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday, July 27, 2024. (IMAGN)

Shields gave kudos to Perkins after the match, saying she was “strong as hell” with her punches in the ring. However, Shields was patient and struck at the last second when Perkins’ guard was down. 

“My experience and my skills got me over it and also, I’ve been in plenty of street fights with bigger people and I had to use some of my skills in that today, too. So, when I dropped her in the last round, it’s because she got greedy,” Shields said of her opponent. 

Shields landed 29% of her punches on Perkins, as well as 36% of her power punches. Perkins landed just 19% of punches. 

Boxer Claressa Shields fights women’s WBC champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse during the main event fight at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday, July 27, 2024. (IMAGN)

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It was a unanimous decision on the card, as judges ruled the fight in favor of Shields 97-92, 99-90 and 100-89. 

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