Claressa Shields

Professional Career

Claressa Shields, a dominant force in women’s boxing, began her professional career with a unanimous decision victory over Franchón Crews-Dezurn on November 19, 2016, at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. She quickly made a name for herself by winning the vacant NABF female middleweight title with a fourth-round TKO against Szilvia Szabados on March 10, 2017, at the MGM Grand in Detroit, Michigan. Shields continued her ascent by capturing the vacant WBC Silver female super middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Sydney LeBlanc on June 16, 2017, at the Masonic Temple in Detroit.

On August 4, 2017, Shields won the WBC and inaugural IBF female super middleweight titles with a fifth-round TKO against Nikki Adler at the MGM Grand in Detroit. She then defended her titles and added the WBAN lineal super middleweight title with a unanimous decision win over Tori Nelson on January 12, 2018, at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. Shields continued to collect titles, winning the vacant WBA and inaugural IBF female middleweight titles with a unanimous decision over Hanna Gabriels on June 22, 2018, at the Masonic Temple in Detroit. She further unified her titles by defeating Hannah Rankin on November 17, 2018, at Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas, winning the vacant WBC female middleweight title.

Shields retained her WBA, WBC, and IBF female middleweight titles with a unanimous decision victory over Femke Hermans on December 8, 2018, at StubHub Center in Carson, California. She then added the WBO and inaugural The Ring female middleweight titles by defeating Christina Hammer on April 13, 2019, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. On January 10, 2020, Shields captured the vacant WBC and WBO female light middleweight titles with a unanimous decision win over Ivana Habazin at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City. She continued her dominance by winning the IBF, vacant WBA (Super), and inaugural The Ring female light middleweight titles with a unanimous decision over Marie-Eve Dicaire on March 5, 2021, at Dort Federal Event Center in Flint, Michigan.

Shields added the WBF female middleweight title to her collection with a unanimous decision win over Ema Kozin on February 5, 2022, at Motorpoint Arena Cardiff in Wales. She further unified her titles by defeating Savannah Marshall on October 15, 2022, at The O2 Arena in London, England, winning the WBO female middleweight title and retaining her WBA, WBC, IBF, WBF, and The Ring female middleweight titles. Her latest victory came on June 3, 2023, when she retained her titles with a unanimous decision win over Maricela Cornejo at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, solidifying her status as one of the greatest female boxers of all time.