Claressa Shields improved her professional boxing record to 17 wins and no losses (3 knockouts) and successfully defended her undisputed women’s heavyweight championship on Saturday, securing a convincing decision victory over the challenging Lani Daniels. The event unfolded before a lively audience at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, headlining an 11-fight program broadcast on DAZN.
Following an enthusiastic entrance, Shields, ranked No. 2 pound-for-pound among women boxers by Uncrowned, and Daniels (11 wins, 3 losses, 2 draws, 1 knockout), engaged in an unusual opening round characterized by minimal action, with only two punches connecting within the entire two-minute duration. In the words of boxing’s primary financial backer, Turki Alalshikh, Daniels appeared intent on enacting “Tom-and-Jerry” style boxing.
However, from that point forward, Shields asserted control, consistently out-throwing and out-landing Daniels in each subsequent round, often by significant margins. As the fight progressed, Shields incorporated more tactical elements, such as feints, attempting to draw mistakes from Daniels and capitalize on them with more forceful punches.
Shields concentrated on targeting Daniels’ body with punches, delivering multiple shots in rapid combinations aimed at her midsection, intending to diminish her stamina. This strategy yielded positive results later in the bout, as Daniels opted to engage directly in front of Shields instead of relying on lateral movement and minimal punches, leading to a more dynamic exchange.
Shields’ most effective moments occurred in the sixth round when she landed punishing body blows, struck Daniels on the temple, and received encouragement from her corner, suggesting that the visiting New Zealander was vulnerable. Despite this, Daniels displayed resilience, absorbing the more powerful blows that Shields managed to land, including a forceful punch at the end of the seventh that snapped her head back.
A spirited exchange erupted in the eighth round, with Daniels landing more punches in the final rounds than in any previous rounds, yet Shields maintained the advantage in each exchange through superior punch selection and greater power.
Ultimately, the judges confirmed a one-sided victory with scores of 100-90, 99-91, 99-91.
Earlier in the event, Tony Harrison (30 wins, 4 losses, 1 draw, 21 knockouts) overcame any effects of a 28-month absence from the ring to secure a points victory over Edward Diaz (15 wins, 7 losses, 12 knockouts) after recovering from an early knockdown, showcasing skillful inside-boxing and a sharp jab. Harrison stated prior to the bout his desire to compete five times within the next 18 months, but he will need to refine his strengths and enhance his concentration in the latter stages of fights to effectively challenge the top contenders in a competitive middleweight division and avoid late-round knockouts.
Additionally, Shields’ understudy, Samantha Worthington, claimed the WBA super lightweight interim belt with a majority decision win over Victoire Piteau. Worthington began aggressively but noticeably slowed down in the latter half of the fight, indicating that her physical conditioning could be improved.
Finally, Pryce Taylor missed an opportunity to impress in an unremarkable heavyweight victory over Robert Simms after eight rounds, and Carolyne Veyre secured a solid win against Licia Boudersa.
See below for comprehensive results from Shields vs. Daniels, along with Uncrowned’s detailed play-by-play coverage of the main card.
Main card
Undisputed heavyweight title: Claressa Shields def. Lani Daniels (100-90, 99-91, 99-91)
Middleweight: Tony Harrison def. Edward Diaz via unanimous decision (96-93, 98-91, 97-92)
Heavyweight: Pryce Taylor def. Robert Simms via majority decision (80-72, 80-72, 80-72)
WBA super lightweight interim title: Samantha Worthington def. Victoire Piteau via majority decision (99-91, 95-95, 96-94)
Featherweight: Caroline Veyre def. Licia Boudersa via unanimous decision (99-91, 99-91, 98-92)
