Claressa Shields is back in action after impressing on UK shores last time out, and the American gets a homecoming at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, with a defence of her WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO middleweight crowns against Maricela Cornejo.
DAZN broadcast Shields vs Cornejo live.
Shields (13-0, 2 KOs) is the self-proclaimed ‘GWOAT’ (greatest woman of all-time) and, after a glittering amateur career where she became a double Olympic champion with golds in 2012 and 2016, she has swept all before her in her professional campaign.
The 28-year-old has reigned as undisputed champion at both super welterweight and middleweight, and has barely been tested, mainly easing to wide points wins as well as picking up straps at super middleweight.
Her real acid test was expected to come in October 2022, in a long-awaited clash with her old amateur rival Savannah Marshall, but Shields was one step ahead throughout the contest, and took a clear decision victory.
The Michigan native was due to face Hanna Gabriels, who decked Shields in their original meeting in 2018 on the way to a wide unanimous decision loss, but the Costa Rican failed a drug test, and in comes Cornejo (16-5, 6 KOs).
The California resident has twice unsuccessfully challenged for world honours previously, and had a couple of competitive losses to common opponent Franchon Crews-Dezurn in 2018 and 2019.
The 36-year-old is unbeaten in her last three, but at a much lower level than world class.
Prediction: Shields is so difficult to get the better of due to her size and reach advantages, and I can’t see Cornejo putting much of a dent in the defences of ‘T-Rex’. The smart money is on another dominant and wide points win for the home fighter here.
Holmes Jr tackles Toussaint
Ardreal Holmes Jr (13-0, 5 KOs) has gone the ten round distance twice in his last two outings, and he should get the better of Wendy Toussaint (14-1, 6 KOs) on the scorecards here too.
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Remaining Undercard
In eight round action, Joseph Hicks (6-0, 5 KOs) can take care of Antonio Dodd (14-7, 8 KOs) inside schedule at middleweight, and super welterweight, Marlon Harrington (8-1, 7 KOs) may need the cards to see off the unbeaten Gheith Karim (9-0, 3 KOs).
In six rounders, Sarah Liegmann (7-0, 2 KOs) can take a points win against Carisse Brown (7-4, 4 KOs) at featherweight, and at middleweight, Da’Velle Smith (5-0, 4 KOs) can halt Kahydlian Woods (4-0, 3 KOs) in the battle of the unbeatens.
In a cruiserweight contest, Vernon Webber (8-0, 5 KOs) can do the same against Brazil’s Fernando Rodrigo Simoes de Almeida (10-8, 10 KOs), who has been stopped in each of his losses.
