DETROIT — Claressa Shields knocked out WBC heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse early within the second round Saturday night, earning titles in a fourth and fifth division.
Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, moved up two weight classes to fight at 175 kilos as a lightweight heavyweight and likewise claimed Lepage-Joanisse’s heavyweight belt. Her previous titles were at 154, 160 and 168 kilos.
She joined Roy Jones Jr. because the only two boxers in greater than 100 years to win middleweight and heavyweight titles.
That’s one other feat that makes her certainly one of the best athletes of all time in any sport, in keeping with Shields.
“What I’ve been capable of do in my profession, from the amateur to the professionals, I’m definitely top five,” Shield said. “If you need to put me up there next to Michael Jordan, Kobe (Bryant), Serena Williams, Muhammad Ali. I’m definitely in that conversation.”
Shields (15-0, 3 KOs) ended the primary round with a series of mixtures and began the second with more, barely breaking a sweat, and landed a flurry of shots that sent Lepage-Joanisse down for the third and final time 1:09 into the round.
Lepage-Joanisse (22-3-1) was on defense from the beginning of her short night.
Shields boxed for the primary time since defending her undisputed middleweight title with a lopsided unanimous decision over Maricela Cornejo nearly 14 months ago.
In between bouts, she improved to 2-1 as a MMA fighter in February.
Shields gained 15 kilos, then lost five kilos, before weighing in at slightly below 175 kilos.
“I used to be capable of eat a variety of pho,” she said. “Normally, I even have to watch out with noodles in camp due to the carbs.”
She sparred against men, including one who weighs 190 kilos, and made some changes to her strength and conditioning program.
“Taking a look at Vanessa in her fights, she pushed girls back because her legs are very strong,” Shields said while promoting the fight during a visit to Detroit Lions training camp on Thursday, when Hulk Hogan also was there for a visit. “We made sure I even have the ability in my legs to push her back, and never get pushed back, and likewise really worked on the strength in my arms.”
Shields won gold medals in the ladies’s middleweight division on the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, making her the primary boxer from america to win consecutive Olympic medals.
She is the one American to win Olympic gold in boxing since 2004 and was named Sportswoman of the Yr by the Women’s Sports Foundation last October.
Shields was a sufficiently big name to attract boxing to Little Caesars Arena for the primary time last 12 months and did it again, headlining a card with up-and-coming fighters with seats sold out on the ground and a lower level that was mostly full.
Thomas Hearns, the revered fighter often known as “The Hitman,” watched from a front-row seat next to Jackie Kallen, who became the primary female manager inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame
Michel Rivera (26-1) of the Dominican Republic, ranked thirtieth at 140 kilos, won with a split decision against Hugo Alberto Roldan of Argentina.
Julian Smith improved to 9-2 with a split-decision victory over Thirty fourth-ranked super lightweight Shohjahon Ergashev (24-1) of Uzbekistan.
Smith, a deaf boxer from the Chicago area, hopes his performance shows hearing loss isn’t an obstacle within the ring.
“It inspires me to indicate the world that folks can do it, given the correct access,” he said through an American Sign Language interpreter.
DETROIT — Claressa Shields knocked out WBC heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse early within the second round Saturday night, earning titles in a fourth and fifth division.
Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, moved up two weight classes to fight at 175 kilos as a lightweight heavyweight and likewise claimed Lepage-Joanisse’s heavyweight belt. Her previous titles were at 154, 160 and 168 kilos.
She joined Roy Jones Jr. because the only two boxers in greater than 100 years to win middleweight and heavyweight titles.
That’s one other feat that makes her certainly one of the best athletes of all time in any sport, in keeping with Shields.
“What I’ve been capable of do in my profession, from the amateur to the professionals, I’m definitely top five,” Shield said. “If you need to put me up there next to Michael Jordan, Kobe (Bryant), Serena Williams, Muhammad Ali. I’m definitely in that conversation.”
Shields (15-0, 3 KOs) ended the primary round with a series of mixtures and began the second with more, barely breaking a sweat, and landed a flurry of shots that sent Lepage-Joanisse down for the third and final time 1:09 into the round.
Lepage-Joanisse (22-3-1) was on defense from the beginning of her short night.
Shields boxed for the primary time since defending her undisputed middleweight title with a lopsided unanimous decision over Maricela Cornejo nearly 14 months ago.
In between bouts, she improved to 2-1 as a MMA fighter in February.
Shields gained 15 kilos, then lost five kilos, before weighing in at slightly below 175 kilos.
“I used to be capable of eat a variety of pho,” she said. “Normally, I even have to watch out with noodles in camp due to the carbs.”
She sparred against men, including one who weighs 190 kilos, and made some changes to her strength and conditioning program.
“Taking a look at Vanessa in her fights, she pushed girls back because her legs are very strong,” Shields said while promoting the fight during a visit to Detroit Lions training camp on Thursday, when Hulk Hogan also was there for a visit. “We made sure I even have the ability in my legs to push her back, and never get pushed back, and likewise really worked on the strength in my arms.”
Shields won gold medals in the ladies’s middleweight division on the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, making her the primary boxer from america to win consecutive Olympic medals.
She is the one American to win Olympic gold in boxing since 2004 and was named Sportswoman of the Yr by the Women’s Sports Foundation last October.
Shields was a sufficiently big name to attract boxing to Little Caesars Arena for the primary time last 12 months and did it again, headlining a card with up-and-coming fighters with seats sold out on the ground and a lower level that was mostly full.
Thomas Hearns, the revered fighter often known as “The Hitman,” watched from a front-row seat next to Jackie Kallen, who became the primary female manager inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame
Michel Rivera (26-1) of the Dominican Republic, ranked thirtieth at 140 kilos, won with a split decision against Hugo Alberto Roldan of Argentina.
Julian Smith improved to 9-2 with a split-decision victory over Thirty fourth-ranked super lightweight Shohjahon Ergashev (24-1) of Uzbekistan.
Smith, a deaf boxer from the Chicago area, hopes his performance shows hearing loss isn’t an obstacle within the ring.
“It inspires me to indicate the world that folks can do it, given the correct access,” he said through an American Sign Language interpreter.
