Claressa Shields retained her undisputed heavyweight title with a one-sided but entertaining points victory over New Zealand’s Lani Daniels in Detroit.
The Michigan native was tested but never troubled in front of her adoring home fans, taking out a unanimous decision (100-90, 99-91 x2) to see her professional record improve to 17-0.
Shields paid tribute to Daniels’ toughness but was confident she had the tools no matter where the fight went.
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“I thought she wanted to fight but she didn’t fight until the last three rounds and even then I was still beating her,” Shields said following the decision.
“I knew that she would be tough and I knew I would have to break her, so I went to the body a lot, I went to the head a lot, I fought on the inside, I fought at mid-range, I fought her long and she was very, very tough and she was tricky toward the end.”
The fight got off to a curious start, with Daniels on her bike, almost baiting Shields into a reckless entry.
When Shields missed on some power punches, the Kiwi fighter appeared to mock her.
Shields finally caught up with the challenger late in the second round and let her hands fly, connecting with a left hook as Daniels backed up against the ropes.
Daniels became more willing to engage over the next couple of rounds but it came at the expense of getting more than she gave, with Shields mixing in body work to the offensive arsenal.
The fifth round finished with a barrage by the champion, left hooks to the midsection and head the most damaging in a sustained assault.
Shields’ advantage in speed and technique were on full display in the sixth, with a tiring Daniels no longer able to avoid the heat coming back the other way.
Despite the odds being stacked against her, Daniels remained game and the action continued to build in the seventh round, although Shields thudded a long right hand into the side of the New Zealander’s head in what was probably the best shot of the fight to that point.
To finish the eighth round, Daniels landed a pair of clean counter shots as Shields became careless during yet another long combination, though the American appeared to shake them off well enough.
Shields didn’t let up in the ninth and bounced a series of bombs off Daniels’ head which seemed to take a little more fire out of “The Smiling Assassin”.
As the final bell beckoned, the pair traded willingly in the middle of the ring, putting on a show in front of the sold-out Little Caesars Arena.
While she was clearly outclassed, Daniels will have lost no admirers for her courageous performance.
After the fight, Shields’ promoter Dmitriy Salita listed Franchon Crews-Dezurn, Laila Ali and Che Kenneally as potential future opponents.
“Anybody can get it, I always say that,” Shields added.
“I want to make the biggest fights and the best fights.”
In the chief support, Tony Harrison made his return to the ring after a two-year absence a winning one, claiming a unanimous decision victory over Edward Diaz.
Having controlled the majority of the fight, Harrison was given a scare when he was dropped late in the ninth round but the former super welterweight world champion recovered to get to the final bell and start life at middleweight with a win.
Catch up on all the results below:
Claressa Shields vs. Lani Daniels full card results
- Claressa Shields (c) def. Lani Daniels by UD10 (100-90, 99-91 x2) for the IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO heavyweight titles
- Tony Harrison def. Edward Diaz by UD10 (96-93, 98-91, 97-92); Middleweight
- Pryce Taylor def. Robert Simms by UD8 (80-72 x3); Heavyweight
- Samantha Worthington def. Victoire Piteau by MD10 (99-91, 96-94, 95-95); Super Lightweight
- Caroline Veyre def. Licia Boudersa by UD10 (99-91 x2, 98-92); Featherweight
Where to watch Claressa Shields vs. Lani Daniels
- Stream: DAZN
Claressa Shields vs. Lani Daniels will be available on DAZN.
A DAZN monthly subscription is $19.99 on a 12-month contract or $24.99 month-to-month. The annual subscription is $224.99.
In Australia, a DAZN monthly subscription is $14.99. A DAZN annual (upfront) subscription costs $149.99.
Claressa Shields vs. Lani Daniels start time
- Date: Saturday, July 26
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET | 5 p.m. PT | 1 a.m. BST | 10 a.m. AEST
- Main event start time (approx.): 11 p.m. ET | 8 p.m. PT | 4 a.m. BST | 1 p.m. AEST
- Location: Little Caesars Arena - Detroit, Michigan
The Shields vs. Daniels fight is at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan on July 26. The event starts at 8 p.m. ET. Shields and Daniels should make their way to the ring around 11 p.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.