UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Returning to her hometown of Flint, Mich., WBC Heavyweight World Champion Claressa Shields is back in action following her knockout heavyweight debut against Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse when she takes on the towering Danielle Perkins for the Undisputed Heavyweight crown. On the heels of her blockbuster film The Fire Inside, the two-time Olympic Gold Medalist has a chance to make history once again as she vies to become the first boxer ever to win the undisputed title in three different weight divisions.

Opposite the worldwide superstar is Brooklyn’s Danielle Perkins. Standing at 6 feet, Perkins poses a difficult task for anyone in the heavyweight division as she boasts a perfect record at 5-0. Perkins was a highly accomplished professional basketball player, playing throughout Europe before her professional boxing career. In her last outing, Perkins fittingly shared the same card as Shields in July of 2024 when she scored an impressive unanimous decision victory over England’s Christianne Fahey. On a special Sunday feature on February 2, Perkins will have the opportunity to dethrone inarguably the greatest women fighter in the world.

MOORE VS. LACY FOR THE USBA HEAVYWEIGHT VACANT TITLE

Lakeland, Fla.’s Brandon Moore (16-1, 10 KOs) will make his promotional debut against the undefeated Skylar Lacy (8-0-2, 6 KOs) in the highly anticipated co-main event as a new addition to Salita Promotion’s impressive stable of heavyweight fighters. Standing at 6-foot-6, Moore has proven to be one of the most dangerous heavyweights, with 10 of his victories coming by way of knockout. Moore made his professional debut in 2020 when he scored an emphatic first round knockout over Nick Pinnock, setting the tone for his dominant career. Born into a family of professional athletes, Moore’s father was the captain of the Trinidad & Tobago national soccer team, while two of his younger brothers are currently professional soccer players. On the strength of two straight TKO victories, Moore most recently defeated Miguel Viloria in November of 2024 and looks to build upon his momentum on Sunday, February 2.

WOMEN’S FIGHTERS IN ACTION

SUPER FIGHT SUNDAY will feature four women’s bouts throughout the talent-stacked card. Recently signed with the promotion, Paris’ Carolyne Veyre (8-1) will square off against Houston, Tex.’s Carmen Vargas (5-2-1) for the Women’s WBA Inter-Continental Featherweight Title. A former Olympian, the reigning WBC International Featherweight Champion Veyre aims to make a statement following her dominant win over Gabriela Bouvier last December. Opening up the televised main card and recently signed to the Salita Promotions banner, the first-ever female Olympic boxer in Puerto Rico, Ashleyann Lozada,will make her professional debut against Denise Moran (3-0) of San Diego, Calif. The 2023 Pan American Games bronze medalist Lozado boasts a decorated amateur career and looks to showcase her skills in her televised debut. Fighting for a world title opportunity, the undefeated No. 5-world ranked Samantha Worthington (10-0, 7 KOs) fighting out Folsom., Calif., looks to claim another statement victory in the women’s super lightweight division against Lithuania’s Vaida Masiokaite (10-26-1, 1 KO).

UP-AND-COMING MICHIGAN SHOWCASED

With Michigan being a hotbed of boxing talent, SUPER FIGHT SUNDAY will see various local stars showcase their skills. Hailing from Grand Rapids, Mich., undefeated fan-favorite Joseph Hicks (11-0, 7 KOs) returns to action when he takes on Louisiana’s Keon Papillion (10-0-1, 7 KOs) in a welterweight showdown. In his last outing, Hicks scored a unanimous decision victory against Ronnie Austion last September. This will arguably be Hicks’ toughest test to date as Papillion enters this televised bout on the strength of a second-round stoppage victory over Rondale Hubbert last September. Also featured on the televised card is undefeated Joshua James Pagan (11-0, 4 KOs) of Grand Rapids, Mich., who looks to continue his dominance in the ring when he squares off against Venezuela’s Ronal Ron (16-7, 13 KOs). Coming from a rich bloodline of fighters, Leon Lawson III (16-1, 9 KOs) returns to the Dort Financial Center on the heels of an emphatic knockout victory over Argentina’s Luis Alberto Veron in September. Opposite the Flint star, Christopher Thompson (9-2, 6 KOs) of Kansas City, Mo., will be a tough out as he started his career with nine straight wins after turning pro in 2020. Opening up the night of fights will be Flint’s rising Jaquan McElroy (2-0, 1 KO) taking on Nathan Mitchell (1-3, 1 KO) of Senatobia, Miss.

DAZN FLASH SALE: BOXING FANS TO SAVE BIG IN THE UNITED STATES AND UNITED KINGDOM

DAZN Group, the global sports entertainment company and leading destination for boxing fans worldwide, announced a flash sale on annual plans, offering discounts of 30 percent in the United States and in the United Kingdom. The promotion will run from January 24^th until February 3rd, making it more affordable for fans to watch boxing post-holiday season.

CATCH ALL THE ACTION ON DAZN

The night of fights will air live globally on DAZN at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. DAZN’s Emily Austin will debut as the event’s host, with veteran boxing sportscaster Claudia Trejos joining as the ringside reporter. In addition, Sergio Mora and Chris Mannix will serve as ringside analysts, while Corey Erdman will handle the blow-by-blow call.

FOR THOSE IN FLINT 

Doors open at 5:30 pm ET with the first fight to begin at 5:30 p.m as well. Tickets are on sale online HERE or the Dort Financial Center box office.

DETROIT – July 25, 2024 – The final press conference was held today for “BIG TIME BOXING USA: SHIELDS VS. JOANISSE” featuring Undisputed Middleweight World Champion Claressa “GWOAT” Shields attempting to win a historic title in a fourth weight division by challenging WBC Women’s Heavyweight World Champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse on Saturday, July 27, from Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and live on premier global sports platform DAZN. The vacant WBO Light Heavyweight Championship will also be on the line.  

Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) of Flint, Mich., and Lepage-Joanisse of Quebec, Canada, will headline a very special edition of “Big Time Boxing USA” presented by Salita Promotions and 313 Presents that also features two more world-class televised fights, an intriguing 10-round co-feature pitting world-ranked super lightweight Michel “La Zarza Ali” Rivera against 140-pound contender Hugo Alberto “Nato” Roldan and power-punching former world-title challenger Shohjahon “Descendant of Tamerlane” Ergashev taking on Julian “The Quiet Storm” Smith in a 10-round super lightweight bout.

Tickets for the July 27 event are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and the XFINITY Box Office at Little Caesars Arena. 

Here is what the conference participants had to say today:

Claressa Shields

?Vanessa did not train hard enough for this fight. I saw her hitting the pads yesterday at the media workout, trying to impress me. I was not impressed. I sparred against bears for this camp. She’s sparring with girls I beat up already.

I’m happy she’s here. I hope she hits like a heavyweight because if she’s not punching like a heavyweight, she’s going to sleep.

She says she doesn’t trash talk. I trash talk and back it up. I will be heavyweight champion Saturday, and nobody will stand in my way. Her size means nothing to me. I’m coming from 160 pounds, but I will be the bear Saturday night.

She rubs me the wrong way. When I take her belt from her, she’s going back to Canada with nothing. She’s going home with a paycheck and beltless. That’s it.

I got to eat better and drink a lot more water for this camp. When you’ve beat everyone at 160 and 168, where else can you go but to heavyweight?

Pray for Vanessa because she’s going down Saturday night. If you’re not here July 27 you’ll be missing greatness. This fight will be one of my biggest fights. I’ll be a 15-time world champion come Saturday night. I can’t wait to see what she’s going to do to keep the T-rex off her Saturday night.

Amanda Serrano, Katie Taylor, Alicia Baumgartner, all of you can make a fight with me and we will see who the real GWOAT is. IT’S WAR TIME!

Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse

I’m thrilled to be here. It ‘s an honor. My hard work is done. I had a great camp, and my team is behind me. A lot of fans from Quebec will be here also.

I’m not a trash talker, I respect Claressa Shields and I know what’s she accomplished, but a fight is a fight. I’ll be ready Saturday night and I’m coming home with the belt in my suitcase. It’s going to be a fight, but I’m going to win it.

Honestly Claressa, I hope you didn’t waste to much energy putting on a show here. All this showing off is pointless. I’m ready to fight and nothing you say today will make a difference. Be ready Saturday night.

I had the best camp of my life and I’ve been focused on just this fight for a very long time. I’m in the best shape ever and I’m ready to shock the world.   

Dmitriy Salita, Salita Promotions

Over the last couple days, there has been a lot of debate about who the GWOAT is and I’ve learned not to be emotional, but it did stir me up. Claressa Shields is the most accomplished women in boxing in history and she’s done things never done before. The term GWOAT was never spoken before Claressa. Her incredible personality and accomplishments have made women’s boxing what it is today. She’s given other women the confidence to believe they can be the best someday.

Claressa dreamed of being a champion as a child in Flint. Flint is struggling every day and to be a young person and decide to become everything she’s become is incredible. There is absolutely no debate who the GWOAT is.

What concerns me about this fight is that Vanessa has all the right ingredients of a champion. There will be 20,000 fans will be rooting against her. We saw her in the gym, and she looks sharp and strong. This is Claressa’s biggest challenge, and we look forward to a fantastic night of boxing. Save your ticket. It will be a collector’s item.

Mark Taffet, President Mark Taffet Media

When we saw we had the opportunity to come back for another fight at Little Caesars Arena, we all said let’s do it! Thanks to everyone for all their hard work to make this incredible fight happen.

Claressa is the GWOAT inside the ring, but she also strives to be great outside the ring by fighting for women’s equality and encouraging women to be their best and realize their dreams.

Imagine being a child growing up in your own home and facing horrors that you can’t imagine, things that no child should have to face with every room you walk in and every door you go through. Those are some of the things Claressa Shields faced as a child. She was nine before she could utter a word. She was a teenager before her words were decipherable. Somehow this kid went to a boxing gym and became not just a survivor but someone who achieved the unthinkable, after going through the unthinkable.

Michel Rivera

Hello beautiful people. I’m glad to be here in Detroit and in a big event with the best woman in boxing. I’m so excited and I look forward to putting on a good show Saturday.

Roldan is a tough fighter with a good record and he ‘s coming to win but obviously he will lose. I am a superstar! La Zarza Ali Rivera!

Training went good because I am tougher than the toughest.

Shohjahon Ergashev

I love Detroit. I’m from Uzbekistan and the first time I boxed professionally was in Detroit. I met SugarHill here and my promoter Dmitriy Salita. Detroit is my second home.

Good luck to Claressa Saturday night.

I studied him on YouTube and he’s not bad. He can fight. I’m more experienced and I am a future champion. I will stop him before the fifth round. If not, I will break his ribs.

We prepared for a hard fight. I will continue progressing my boxing skills and I will be world champion very soon. Thanks to my promoter. He’s doing a great job.  

###

Headlining the un-televised portion of the night will be a 10-round super lightweight battle between undefeated knockout artist Ernesto “Tito” Mercado (15-0, 14 KOs) of Pomona, CA, and Hector Edgardo “Pajarito” Sarmiento (21-2, 14 KOs) from Cordoba, Argentina, as well as an eight-round women’s super-lightweight battle where WBO #6 and IBF #4 ranked Super Lightweight Samantha Worthington (8-0, 6 KOs) will put her undefeated record on the line against Budapest, Hungary’s Edina Kiss (16-20, 9 KOs).

In a six-round super welterweight battle, Dearborn Heights, Michigan’s Husam “Lion Heart” Al Mashhadi (9-1, 8 KOs) will take on Buenos Aires, Argentina’s Bruno Leonardo Romay (22-13, 19 KOs). In a six-round featherweight showdown, Pontiac, Michigan’s Cameran “The Problem” Pankey (9-1, 4 KOs) will take on Mooresville, North Carolina’s Shaileik Paisley (4-4, 3 KOs).

Also featured that night will be an eight-round female heavyweight fight between Houston, Texas’ undefeated Danielle Perkins (4-0, 2 KOs) and Scotland’s Christianne Fahey (2-1, 2 KOs), as well as an exciting all-Detroit six-round super welterweight scrap between once-beaten Gordie Russ II (6-1, 6 KOs) and once-beaten Josiah Shackleford (3-1, 2 KOs).

Rounding out the action will be Flint’s own Jaquan McElroy, who will make his professional boxing debut in a four-round welterweight bout against Travis Floyd of Douglasville, GA.

About Salita Promotions

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including SHOWTIME, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action. 

About 313 Presents

313 Presents is Detroit’s premier live entertainment company. Inspired by the soul of Detroit, 313 Presents promotes and produces concerts, theatrical productions, sporting events and family shows at six world-class venues across southeast Michigan including Little Caesars Arena, the historic Fox Theatre featuring Proud Partner Comerica Bank, Comerica Park, Pine Knob Music Theatre Presented by Proud Partners United Wholesale Mortgage, Trinity Health and Ally, Meadow Brook Amphitheatre Presented by Proud Partner Oakland University Credit Union and Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre. Headquartered in The District Detroit, 313 Presents is a joint venture between Ilitch Sports + Entertainment and Pistons Sports & Entertainment. For additional information, visit 313Presents.com.

About DAZN Group 

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK. Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.  

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F. DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans. 

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN. 

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalogue and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including Playstation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.    

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com. 

DETROIT – June 12, 2024 – Undisputed Middleweight World Champion and boxing superstar Claressa “GWOAT” Shields of Flint, Mich., held a media workout in Detroit yesterday to discuss her Saturday, July 27, rise of two weight classes to challenge for a world title in a fourth division against WBC Women’s Heavyweight World Champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse of Quebec, Canada. The vacant WBO Light Heavyweight Championship will also be on the line on July 27, as both main event fighters aim to unify 175-pound titles in a very special edition of “Big Time Boxing USA” at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit that will air live on premier global sports platform DAZN.   Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) and Lepage-Joanisse (7-1, 2 KOs) will headline a blockbuster night of boxing presented by Salita Promotions and 313 Presents at downtown Detroit’s world-class venue and home of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons.   Tickets for the July 27 event are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and the XFINITY Box Office at Little Caesars Arena.    Here is what Shields and her promoter, Dmitriy Salita, had to say today from the Downtown Boxing Gym in Detroit:   CLARESSA SHIELDS “I feel like some things only happen once in a lifetime, and so I’m happy that Little Caesars Arena has given me the opportunity again. To be given the opportunity here in Detroit at one of the biggest venues here, I feel honored and privileged and humbled. I just can’t wait to show what I can do at heavyweight, represent Detroit and Michigan and Flint, and keep bringing Big Time Boxing back to Detroit.”   “I want to go down in history as the ‘Beyonce of Boxing;’ the ‘Serena Williams of Boxing.’ I feel like I’m unstoppable when it comes to a fight and there’s always going to be fireworks, because it they (her opponents) don’t start the party, I will.”   “Regardless of the weight class, I haven’t seen any girl be tough enough, be skilled enough, defensively or offensively, to beat me. I’m willing to go wherever I need to go to give all these girls a chance, so I can keep proving them wrong. You guys have got the tapes, you’ve been studying me all these years, and you still can’t beat me.”   On Also Fighting in MMA: “I think what makes me so powerful within this combat sport is that I always think positive. I prepare as best I can, I get in there and I fight, and I win. I don’t really think about all the bad things that could happen to me, because that can disrupt what I’m trying to do. I think about being a bad person and doing those bad things.”   DMITRIY SALITA On why Shields chose to fight Joanisse: “If you look at the great boxing champions from the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit, people like Floyd Mayweather, Tommy Hearns, they took on the biggest and the best challengers. That is what Claressa is doing, too.”   “She’s also bringing boxing back to Detroit. This will be her second show at Little Caesars Arena, which is one of the most beautiful venues for boxing in the United States.”   “Some athletes, when you see them on TV, seem unreal. Claressa is real. She lives just 30 miles away from Detroit. She’s Michigan-made and has a really incredible story. And in today’s day and age, when women’s empowerment is at the forefront, Claressa is at the head driving that message.”   (Media Note: The 175-pound weight limit is titled heavyweight by the WBC and Light Heavyweight by the WBO.)   #         #         #   About Salita Promotions Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including SHOWTIME, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.   Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action.    About 313 Presents 313 Presents is Detroit’s premier live entertainment company. Inspired by the soul of Detroit, 313 Presents promotes and produces concerts, theatrical productions, sporting events and family shows at six world-class venues across southeast Michigan including Little Caesars Arena, the historic Fox Theatre featuring Proud Partner Comerica Bank, Comerica Park, Pine Knob Music Theatre Presented by Proud Partners United Wholesale Mortgage, Trinity Health and Ally, Meadow Brook Amphitheatre Presented by Proud Partner Oakland University Credit Union and Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre. Headquartered in The District Detroit, 313 Presents is a joint venture between Ilitch Sports + Entertainment and Pistons Sports & Entertainment. For additional information, visit 313Presents.com.   About DAZN Group  DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK. Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.     DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F. DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.    DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.    DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalogue and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including Playstation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.       DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit?www.dazngroup.com.

DETROIT – June 4, 2024 – On Saturday, July 27, professional boxing superstar and current Undisputed Middleweight World Champion Claressa “GWOAT” Shields of Flint, Mich., will be looking to add to her storied career yet again as she rises two weight classes to vie for a world title in a fourth division against WBC Women’s Heavyweight World Champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse of Quebec, Canada. The vacant WBO Light Heavyweight Championship will also be on the line on July 27, as both main event fighters aim to unify 175-pound titles in a very special edition of “Big Time Boxing USA” at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit that will air live on premier global sports platform DAZN.

Shields (14-0, 2 KOs), a living legend in her home state, and Lepage-Joanisse (7-1, 2 KOs) will headline a blockbuster night of boxing presented by Salita Promotions and 313 Presents at downtown Detroit’s world-class venue and home of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons.

Tickets for the live event are on sale now and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com and the XFINITY Box Office at Little Caesars Arena.

Shields is the reigning WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO Middleweight World Champion and is the only women’s boxer in history to hold Undisputed World titles in two divisions, having also won the undisputed female light middleweight world championship in March 2021. In addition, Shields holds the record for becoming a two- and three-division world champion in the fewest professional fights ever and owns the distinction of having held titles in three weight classes, as she also won the unified WBC and IBF female super middleweight titles in 2017.

In her record-breaking amateur boxing career, Shields won gold medals in the women’s middleweight division at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, making her the first American boxer to win consecutive Olympic medals and the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. In her most recent boxing appearance, Shields defended her middleweight belts by scoring a unanimous 10-round decision over Maricela Cornejo in June 2023. The wildly successful event was the first boxing match ever held at Little Caesars Arena.

“The Queen of Boxing is back! I’m so excited to return to the ring, especially after my MMA victory in February.” said Shields. “I’m excited to bring another entertaining fight to Little Caesars Arena. Last time 12,000 fans filled the arena, and this time we’re going to lift the roof off the building! This is a significant and unique fight where I am moving up two weight classes against a very tough champion in my quest to become World Champion in my fourth weight division. It’s an exciting time for women’s sports, and I thank DAZN for providing a global platform for women’s boxing. I plan to do what I do best: bring that GWOAT energy and continue putting women’s boxing on the map.”

Lepage-Joanisse found boxing as a teenager in 2009 and quickly realized she had a talent for the sweet science. By 2013, Lepage-Joanisse was invited to join Quebec’s provincial amateur boxing team and later, the Canadian national team from 2014 to 2016. Lepage-Joanisse went on to win the Canadian women’s heavyweight title in 2014 and 2015 and finished her successful amateur career with a record of 17-4.

Lepage-Joanisse turned professional in March 2016 and, after just three fights, unsuccessfully challenged Mexico’s Alejandra Jimenez for her WBC World Championship in 2017. Jimenez would later test positive for the use of illegal substances. A heartbroken Lepage-Joanisse left the sport for nearly six years after suffering her only career loss but returned to fighting in March 2023, and won the WBC Heavyweight World Championship by defeating Argentina’s Abril Argentina Vidal by unanimous decision a year later.

“It doesn’t matter to me whether it’s Claressa or someone else. My life is all about challenges,” said Lepage-Joanisse. “I’ve always faced them head-on, and I intend to keep it that way.”

“From the beginning of her career, Claressa has been on a quest to make her story a part of history,” said Dmitriy Salita. “This fight is one of Claressa’s hardest challenges, moving up two weight divisions to challenge the current Heavyweight World Champion. It’s ‘Claressa vs. Vanessa’ for the unified world title in Detroit, one of boxing’s historic homes. There is no better venue for this epic showdown than the beautiful, world-class Little Caesars Arena.”

“With every fight, Claressa Shields continues to raise the bar for women’s boxing,” said Mark Taffet, President of Mark Taffet Media. “With history and legacy on the line, Claressa embraces the challenge of moving up two weight classes in her quest to win a world title in her fourth weight division. It is a real privilege to be by her side on her game-changing journey.”

“As Detroit’s premier live entertainment company, 313 Presents is excited to bring boxing back to Little Caesars Arena in partnership with Salita Promotions,” said Howard Handler, President of 313 Presents. “Detroit’s boxing scene has a rich history that has produced and embraced numerous champions and last year’s event proved monumental as we look to build upon the amazing entertainment and alive moments we bring to our world-class venues. Claressa Shields proved she can pack a punch as well as a crowd. July 27 should deliver another action-packed night of boxing.”

#         #         #

About Salita Promotions

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including SHOWTIME, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action. 

About 313 Presents

313 Presents is Detroit’s premier live entertainment company. Inspired by the soul of Detroit, 313 Presents promotes and produces concerts, theatrical productions, sporting events and family shows at six world-class venues across southeast Michigan including Little Caesars Arena, the historic Fox Theatre featuring Proud Partner Comerica Bank, Comerica Park, Pine Knob Music Theatre Presented by Proud Partners United Wholesale Mortgage, Trinity Health and Ally, Meadow Brook Amphitheatre Presented by Proud Partner Oakland University Credit Union and Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre. Headquartered in The District Detroit, 313 Presents is a joint venture between Ilitch Sports + Entertainment and Pistons Sports & Entertainment. For additional information, visit 313Presents.com.

About DAZN Group 

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK. Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world – Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.  

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match through the NFL Game Pass International add-on subscription. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League, and a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F. DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans. 

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialize, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN. 

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalogue and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including PlayStation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and can find the app on their iPhone, iPad, and android mobile devices. DAZN is available as an Amazon Channel on Amazon Prime TV and can be viewed on Channel 429 on Sky in the UK and Ireland.    

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries. For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit: www.dazngroup.com.