Claressa Shields, the undisputed queen of women’s boxing, returns to the ring against Maricela Cornejo on Saturday night in Detroit.
CLARESSA SHIELDS (13-0, 2 KOS)
VS. MARICELA CORNEJO (16-5, 6 KOS)
- When: Saturday, June 3
- Time: 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
- Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
- TV/Stream: DAZN
- Division: Middleweight (160 pounds)
- At stake: Shields’ undisputed championship
- Odds: Shields 34-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
- Also on the card: Ardreal Holmes vs. Wendy Toussaint, junior middleweights
- Prediction: Shields UD
- Background: The queen of women’s boxing returns to the ring after arguably her most important victory, a unanimous decision over the only woman to defeat her – Savannah Marshall – last October. She had been scheduled to fight Hanna Gabriels on Saturday but Gabriels was pulled from the card after she tested positive for a banned substance. Cornejo agreed to step in on Thursday, although she had been on Shields’ list of desired opponents for some time. Shields is considered by many to be the best female fighter pound-for-pound, particularly after rival Katie Taylor’s loss to Chantelle Cameron on May 20. The only flaw in her record is a lack of knockouts, which is something the 28-year-old Michigander said she has worked on in the gym. Cornejo is a 36-year-old who lives and trains in Los Angeles. The WBO’s No. 1 contender has lost decisions in three title challenges, once against 160-pounder Kali Reis and twice to 168-pound champ Franchon Crews Dezurn. Cornejo has won three consecutive fights since losing a decision to Alma Ibarra in March 2021. She has never been stopped.
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