Claressa Shields Makes History, Defeats Danielle Perkins to Become First Female Undisputed Heavyweight Champion
On Sunday night, February 2nd, 2025, at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, Michigan, Claressa Shields made history by becoming the first female boxer to win the undisputed heavyweight title. In a fight that had fans on the edge of their seats, Shields defeated Danielle Perkins in a dominant display of skill, grit, and determination.
From the opening bell, the size difference between the two fighters was immediately apparent. Standing at 6 feet tall, Perkins had a 4-inch height advantage over the 5’8″ Shields. At the official weigh-in, Perkins tipped the scales at 177.2 pounds, while Shields came in at 173.6. On fight night, Perkins appeared to rehydrate to a weight in the 190-200 pound range, further adding to her physical advantage.
In the early stages of the bout, Perkins, a southpaw, attempted to establish control with her jab, but Shields quickly showed her skill and precision, countering Perkins’ efforts with sharp combinations. Shields kept Perkins at bay in the second round, focusing on her jab and landing several right hands to the body. As the round drew to a close, Perkins tried to press forward, but Shields seemed at ease fighting off the back foot, landing another clean combination just before the bell.
The third round saw Shields start to assert more control, landing an overhand right that knocked Perkins off balance. Shields continued to press the advantage with a series of overhand rights, although Perkins displayed her resilience, surviving the onslaught and making it to the next round.
By the sixth round, Perkins had a brief moment of success, pushing Shields into a corner and trying to capitalize on the opportunity. However, Shields quickly regained control, landing a left hook followed by a powerful right hand that sent Perkins reeling.
As the fight entered the later rounds, Perkins’ aggression grew, but her spacing was off, causing her to smother her own work. In the seventh, Shields connected with another right hand, closing out the round with a flurry of punches. Perkins tried to fight back in the ninth, but she was caught with a powerful left-hand counter as she moved forward.
In the 10th and final round, Perkins needed a miracle to turn the tide, but Shields was ready to close the show. With just 13 seconds remaining in the fight, Shields landed a crushing right hand that sent Perkins crashing to the canvas. Perkins, to her credit, managed to rise to her feet before the count, but the final bell soon sounded, bringing an end to the championship bout.
At the conclusion of the fight, Shields was awarded the unanimous decision victory, with the judges scoring the bout 100-89, 97-92, and 99-90 in her favor. With the win, Claressa “GWOAT” Shields (16-0, 3 KOs) became the first boxer in history to earn the distinction of being a three-division undisputed world champion.
In her post-fight interview, Shields explained that she had refrained from using her jab as much during the fight because of an injury to her left shoulder sustained in training camp, which she had to adjust for throughout the bout.
Claressa Shields vs. Danielle Perkins full card results
- Claressa Shields (c) def. Danielle Perkins via unanimous decision for the IBF, WBC, and WBO heavyweight titles (100-89, 97-92, 99-90)
- Brandon Moore def. Skylar Lacy via DQ (0:51 into round eight)
- Joseph Hicks Jr. def. Keon Papillion via TKO (1:35 into round seven)
- Joshua Pagan def. Ronal Ron via unanimous decision (79-73, 78-74, 78-74)
- Caroline Veyre def. Carmen Vargas via unanimous decision (80-72, 80-72, 80-72)
- Ashleyann Lozada def. Denise Moran via unanimous decision (40-36, 40-36, 40-36)
- Leon Lawson III def. Christopher Thompson via TKO (round four)
- Samantha Worthington def. Vaida Masiokaite via unanimous decision
- Pryce Taylor def. Jerell Nettles via TKO (round two)
