Shields Showcases Her Class to Retain Undisputed Title in Detroit

Claressa Shields remains undisputed heavyweight queen with dominant display over Lani Daniels

In front of a roaring home crowd in Detroit, Claressa Shields once again proved why she’s regarded as one of the greatest female boxers of all time. The 30-year-old American successfully defended her undisputed heavyweight title with a commanding unanimous decision victory over New Zealand’s Lani Daniels at the Little Caesars Arena.

With over 15,000 fans in attendance, Shields delivered a performance that was clinical, powerful, and a reminder of the massive gulf in class between herself and the rest of the division.

Shields in Control from the Start

Claressa Shields eases past Lani Daniels to defend undisputed heavyweight title | Claressa Shields

The opening rounds set the tone for the evening. Daniels, 37, entered the bout with plenty of respect for her opponent — perhaps too much. She stayed on the back foot, circling and using her movement to try and keep out of range, but offered little in the way of aggression or counters.

Shields, never one to let a moment pass her by, took full control of the ring. She stalked Daniels with patience and precision, cutting off angles and landing solid body shots that seemed to sap the New Zealander’s energy early on.

“I thought she wanted to fight,” Shields said in her post-fight interview with DAZN. “But she didn’t really engage until the last three rounds. She was tough and tricky toward the end, but I know I won every round.”

The judges clearly agreed. The scorecards read 100-90, 99-91, and 99-91 — a clean sweep for the Flint native, who pushed her undefeated record to 17-0.

Shields Turns Up the Heat

While Daniels stayed elusive in the early stages, Shields stepped up the pressure in the middle rounds. Her body work was particularly impressive — thudding left hooks to the ribs followed by quick combinations upstairs that rocked Daniels more than once.

By the seventh round, Shields’ dominance was overwhelming. A sharp right hand snapped Daniels’ head back as her movement began to slow. Shields sensed it and moved in, not recklessly, but with a calm authority that underlined her experience at the top level.

The eighth round brought the first real exchange of the fight. Daniels, to her credit, began to trade, standing her ground and looking to fight fire with fire. But even then, Shields was faster, cleaner, and more accurate.

A Champion Running Out of Challengers?

What makes Shields’ continued dominance so remarkable is that she’s doing it across divisions. Already a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a three-weight undisputed champion — at light-middleweight, middleweight, and now heavyweight — she’s run out of mountains to climb.

She became a five-weight world champion earlier this year when she moved up to heavyweight and defeated Danielle Perkins to unify the division. And yet, despite the glory, it’s clear that the division lacks the depth to truly challenge her.

With Daniels dispatched and no clear rivals at heavyweight, the question now is: where does Shields go next?

“I want to make the biggest fights and the best fights,” Shields said. “Anybody can get it.”

Could Shields vs Laila Ali Really Happen?

One of the more surprising stories to emerge after the fight was talk of a potential bout with none other than Laila Ali — the daughter of boxing legend Muhammad Ali and herself a former WBC super-middleweight champion.

Ali, now 47, has been retired since 2007 with a flawless 24-0 record and 21 knockouts. While her legacy is intact, and her name still carries weight in the sport, the idea of returning to fight someone as active and sharp as Shields is more fantasy than reality. Still, promoter Dmitry Salita insists there is an offer on the table.

“Laila Ali is a legend and an icon, and we respect everything she’s done,” Salita told reporters. “But if she wants it, the door is open. The fans would go wild for that kind of event.”

It would certainly be a blockbuster from a promotional standpoint, but whether it’s a realistic or fair fight is another story entirely.

More Likely Options for Shields

Shields stays undisputed after UD10 win over Daniels

More grounded options are also being explored. One name already circulating is Franchon Crews-Dezurn, who holds the WBA and WBC super-middleweight titles and has a history with Shields. The two fought back in 2016 in Shields’ pro debut, with the now-undisputed champ taking the win.

Crews-Dezurn has since built her own impressive résumé and would provide a meaningful rematch — one with stakes and history.

A return to middleweight or super-middleweight would also open the door to possible high-profile bouts with other champions in those divisions. Shields has proven she can go up or down in weight and still dominate, and with heavyweight not offering much excitement beyond her own name, a step back down makes a lot of sense.

Still Chasing Greatness

At just 30 years old, Claressa Shields has already achieved more than most fighters could dream of. But what makes her story so compelling is that she’s not done — not even close. She’s chasing not just wins, but moments that define legacies. She wants greatness, not just titles.

Her self-proclaimed moniker — “The GWOAT” (Greatest Woman of All Time) — may sound bold, but when you stack her résumé against anyone else’s in women’s boxing history, it’s hard to argue. Two Olympic gold medals. Three-weight undisputed world champion. Undefeated as a professional. Dominating across multiple divisions.

For Shields, the next chapter is all about finding the right challenge. Whether it’s a legacy fight with a returning legend, a rematch with a rising star, or a venture back to middleweight to clean up again, one thing’s for sure — Claressa Shields is far from finished.

And on a night in Detroit, in front of thousands of proud fans, she reminded the world exactly why she sits at the top of women’s boxing.