Claressa Shields will make the first defence of her undisputed middleweight crown this weekend when she takes on Maricela Cornejo in Detroit.
Shields, the pound-for-pound number one women’s boxer in the world, was originally set to face Hanna Gabriels in a rematch on Saturday, but Gabriels was removed from the card last Thursday due to results from a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association test earlier this month.
Cornejo is a solid replacement on such short notice however, and is a three-time world title challenger on a run of three straight wins. Here’s everything you need to know about Saturday’s boxing in the Motor City.
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
When: Saturday 3rd June, 2023.
How To Watch: DAZN. The undercard gets underway at 12am Sunday (BST), with the main event expected to begin at 4am.
Tale Of The Tape:
Shields
Place Of Birth: Flint, Michigan, USA
Age: 28
Alias: T-Rex
Record: 13-0 (2)
Height: 5’8’’
Reach: 68’’
Stance: Orthodox
Last Fight: Shields beat the previously undefeated Savannah Marshall by unanimous decision in a thriller at the O2 Arena in London last October, becoming the undisputed middleweight champion in the process.
Cornejo
Place Of Birth: Prosser, Washington, USA
Age: 36
Alias: La Diva
Record: 16-5 (6)
Height: 5’10’’
Reach: 72’’
Stance: Orthodox
Last Fight: In Costa Rica, Cornejo stopped Brazil’s Sheila Cunha in a single round in March.
What They Say:
Shields: “I told my team to get me the best. Cornejo is a tall, tough Mexican full of pride who’s in great shape and wants to beat me. She’s ranked number one. That’s exactly what I want for my Detroit homecoming and for my fans around the world. I’m looking forward to a great performance on June 3.”
Full Fight Card:
Claressa Shields vs Marciela Cornejo, WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF middleweight titles
Ardeal Holmes Jr vs Wendy Toussaint, super welterweight
Joseph Hicks vs Antonio Todd, middleweight
Marlon Harrington vs Gheith Karim, super welterweight
Joshua James Pagan vs Ronnell Burnett, super lightweight
Sarah Liegmann vs Carisse Brown, featherweight
Da’Velle Smith vs Kahydilian Woods, middleweight
Vernon Webber vs Fernando Rodrigo Simoes de Almeida, cruiserweight
