Claressa Shields and Danielle Perkins face-off ahead of heavyweight title fight

Claressa Shields and Danielle Perkins came face-to-face at an open media workout ahead of their bout for the undisputed heavyweight world championship which takes place on Feb. 2, at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, MI.

Shields and Perkins talked to the media, worked out and faced off for the first time at Downtown Boxing Gym in Detroit, MI on Jan. 7.

Brooklyn, NY native Perkins said she was overjoyed when she got the opportunity to face Shields for the undisputed heavyweight title.

“I don’t think I’ve ever cried tears of joy,” said Perkins. “Hearing about this opportunity to fight Claressa [Shields] was my first time doing that.

Shields expects her overall boxing experience will give her an edge as she has significantly more amateur and pro fights than Perkins.

“My experience will be a big factor in this fight,” said Shields. “I have not conquered the world once, but twice as an amateur. Professionally, I have conquered the world 15 times. That means I have been in the ring with 15 world champions or competitors fighting me for a world championship. A lot of those belts I have are ones that I went and took. I have been to girls’ countries to take belts. It’s just different being in there with high-caliber fighters. Every training camp, I get up. It doesn’t matter who I am facing.”

Perkins, who is 6-feet with a 72 inch reach feels that her size and experience at heavyweight will be an advantage for her against Shields.

“Size, strength, and power are the attributes I will bring to this fight. I don’t think I am like anyone else she has ever fought,” said Perkins. “Claressa [Shields] is a phenomenal middleweight but has never gone more than two rounds at heavyweight. All my experience is at heavyweight, so I have a lot of rounds under my belt.”

They respect each other as opponents but discussion over who is the GWOAT or greatest female boxer led Shields to believe that Perkins doubts her own abilities.

“I saw somewhere that Perkins said that I was not the GOAT of female boxing,” said Shields. “She said someone else was. The mistake that she made was that she didn’t say herself. When they ask you who you think the greatest of all time is in women’s boxing while you’re getting ready to fight for a world championship, and you say someone else, that shows you are doubtful.”

Shields knocked out Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse for the WBC heavyweight title in July 2024. She became the only boxer other than Roy Jones Jr. to rise from middleweight to heavyweight and win a world title.

Even though Perkins is a tougher fight than Lepage-Joanisse, Shields plans on sending Perkins to the canvas.

“The bigger they are, the harder they fall,” said Shields. “Lepage-Joanisse made a pretty big noise when she fell, and I look forward to making Danielle Perkins make a bigger noise when she falls.”

The bout will be Shields' first pro fight in her hometown, Flint, MI. Shields sees this fight and the release of her biopic, The Fire Inside as a spotlight for the city of Flint.

“I am super excited to be able to face Danielle Perkins,” said Shields. “I think me going to the heavyweight division did scare a lot of people, including my family. My last opponent, Vanessa [Lepage-Joanisse], was someone we took very seriously. Now, we have a better opponent in Danielle. She has a decorated background and is tall and big. I look forward to having an all-out fight with her. What better time to have a fight in Flint than after The Fire Inside has come out all over the country? I just want to show that people from Flint can actually make it."

“She had the opportunity to fight in different places throughout the country, in New York City, in Vegas, etcetera but she wanted to fight in Flint,” said Head of Salita Promotions Dmitriy Salita. “She wants to bring the spotlight back to the city.”

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online or in person at the Dort Financial Center box office.