DETROIT (AP) — Claressa Shields is giving Lani Daniels a shot at winning her belts.
Shields, the first undisputed heavyweight champion in women’s boxing, announced on social media Wednesday that she is facing Daniels on July 26 at Little Caesars Arena.
The 30-year-old Shields improved to 16-0 by unanimously outpointing Danielle Perkins three months ago in her hometown of Flint, Michigan.
Daniels, a 36-year-old from New Zealand, has the IBF light heavyweight title. She has won seven straight matches and is 11-2-2 with one knockout.
Shields, a two-time Olympic champion, has revived the Motor City’s place in boxing. The city has a rich history in the sport that includes Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson and Thomas Hearns.
The home of the Red Wings and Pistons opened in 2017, but the arena didn’t have a boxing card until nearly two years ago when Shields was the headliner and beat Maricela Cornejo.
Shields was back at Little Caesars Arena last summer, knocking out WBC heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in front of about 12,000 fans and likely will be a big draw for a third time in July.
“Women’s boxing has grown by leaps and bounds since Claressa Shields headlined the very first women’s main event on a nationally televised card,” Shields’ promoter, Dmitriy Salita, said Wednesday.
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Follow Larry Lage at https://apnews.com/author/larry-lage
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AP Boxing: https://apnews.com/hub/boxing
