Shields Wins First Undisputed Heavyweight Boxing World Title
American boxer Claressa Shields won her first-ever undisputed world title in three weight divisions on Sunday after defeating fellow American Danielle Perkins by unanimous decision in the women’s heavyweight division. The fight took place in front of her home crowd in Flint, Michigan.
Shields, who also won Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016, landed a powerful right hand in the final seconds of the tenth and last round, knocking Perkins down and extending her professional record to 16 wins with no losses.
The victory made the 29-year-old Shields the first-ever undisputed champion in a third weight class, adding to her undisputed titles in the middleweight and light middleweight divisions.
She became the first boxer—male or female—to achieve this historic feat.
“It feels incredible, to be honest,” Shields said. “I had a really tough training camp. Just last Friday, I suffered a torn muscle in my left shoulder, so I couldn’t throw punches properly.
But I didn’t want to cancel the fight because I prayed to God to put on a great performance in my hometown. He answered my prayers, so I decided to push through.
