Claressa Shields has further cemented her legacy as a boxing icon, becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion with a unanimous decision victory over the previously unbeaten Danielle Perkins on Sunday (Feb. 2), as reported by ESPN.
During the final seconds of the 10th and final round, Shields (16-0, 3 KOs) knocked down Perkins (5-1, 2 KOs) to secure a dominant win. The judges’ scorecards read 97-92, 99-90, and 100-89, all in favor of Shields.
A Fight That Almost Didn’t Happen
Interestingly, the highly anticipated bout was nearly called off due to Shields suffering a shoulder injury before the fight. The champion revealed that she was unable to lift her arm for three days leading up to the match.
“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 stated in her post-fight interview. “I didn’t want to let Flint down, but I really couldn’t use my jab the way that I wanted to. I did my best, iced it, and did therapy, but now I think I’ll need shoulder surgery.”
Giving Credit to Her Opponent
Shields also acknowledged Perkins’ strength and resilience in the ring.
“I felt strong in there, but Danielle Perkins is even stronger. That girl was tough as hell,” Shields admitted. “She was definitely a problem. My experience and skills got me through, and I’ve been in plenty of street fights with bigger people. I had to use some of those skills today. When I dropped her in the last round, it was because she got greedy.”
Fighting for Flint
The Flint native made a conscious decision to bring the fight to her hometown instead of hosting it at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Shields emphasized the deep connection she has with her city and the pride she feels representing Flint.
“Flint is a different kind of place. The people here are true fight fans. They support you and accept you for who you are,” she said. “Even hearing them chant, ‘Whoop that trick,’—you won’t hear that at any other women’s boxing match in history. It’s something people just wouldn’t expect from women’s boxing.”
“People accept that from me here because they understand me. They know I’m just as hood, just as street, but also business-savvy and very smart. They accept me for the full package, and I love them so much for that.”
A Night to Remember
Undefeated welterweight champion Terence Crawford was in attendance and shared his thoughts on Shields’ performance.
“I think it was a great fight. Perkins came to fight, she was big and strong, but Claressa had the speed, timing, and experience,” Crawford said. “And when she had to dig deep and turn it into a dogfight, she won that exchange as well. The whole night was a great turnout.”
Making History Once Again
With this victory, Shields became the first boxer—male or female—in the four-belt era to be the undisputed champion in three different weight classes. She has now conquered the junior middleweight, middleweight, and heavyweight divisions.
She currently holds the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO heavyweight titles, further solidifying her position as one of the greatest fighters of all time.
