The women’s undisputed middleweight crown will be on the line this Saturday on DAZN. It will be a huge homecoming for the champion Claressa Shields (13-0, 2 KOs) as she defends her titles against the #1 contender Maricela Cornejo (16-5, 6 KOs) live from the Little Ceasars Arena in Detroit, MI.
This fight comes right after her unanimous decision victory over Savannah Marshall (12-1, 10 KOs). The buildup to the fight was intense as both women had a long-standing rivalry dating back to the amateurs. Although there was plenty of buzz for a rematch in the U.S., Shields told ProBoxTV, “I had said it a few times that I wanted to fight Savannah Marshall at the Little Ceasars Arena, but she was scared. So that fight didn’t get made.”
New opponent ✅
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 25, 2023
Undisputed Middleweight World Champion @Claressashields will now face Maricela Cornejo, June 3, live on DAZN 👑#ShieldsCornejo pic.twitter.com/wUQxfrZuHF
That fight not being made didn’t stop Shields in any way, and she even released a song under the artist name of Ressa Gold Chainz named “The GWOAT Energy.” She enjoys creating music during her time off from the ring and sees herself as a real artist. “I’m definitely going to do more stuff in music. I’m working on a few songs right now. I’ve been doing it on my free time. I can actually rap, so I’m enjoying it. It’s fun to me.”
Getting back to boxing, Shields was initially scheduled to face Hanna Gabriels, but due to her testing positive for a banned substance last week, she was removed from the card, and Cornejo was inserted as the new opponent. Gabriels was the only fighter to knockdown Shields, which was the first fight she worked with trainer John David Jackson. This would be somewhat of a redemption fight but with Gabriels out, Shields will not be able to get that payback for now.
THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN TEACHER & STUDENT
Hey y’all! It’s 5 days out from fight day! Y’all have y’all tickets & Tv reminders set!!!
— Claressa Gwoat Shields (@Claressashields) May 29, 2023
Ticket link: https://t.co/Y1dV1rT42d
📺: @DAZNBoxing June 3rd Saturday pic.twitter.com/B27auVyFc8
The chemistry between her and Jackson is still interesting as they continue to grow together as a team. Shields was open and candid about the situation when asked about the working relationship with Jackson. Shields told ProBoxTV, “Me and Coach John David (Jackson) have grown together. We grew through being knockdown in my first fight with him. When he first met me, people had already told him about who they thought I was, and he found out that everything they told him was wrong. I’m the easiest fighter to work with. I want to learn, get better, and train extremely hard.”
Shields continued, “Us growing together has been a team effort. I think he is the perfect coach for the job. What do you do with people that are already great? Some people be like, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ He’s not like that. He’s like, ‘It’s great; now let’s make it better.’ He always reminds me of stuff during sparring and during the pads on becoming a better professional fighter. We are doing that even though I am considered #1 pound for pound.” Shields admits that the process will continue to evolve as she looks to maintain “The GWOAT” title she has given herself.
On Saturday, Shields looks to prove once again that she is the best fighter in women’s boxing while continuing to make the argument that she is one of the best in the sport as a whole. Once she enters the ring for her fight, she will feel some of that “GWOAT Energy” she rapped about in her song and will look to put on a great performance as she comes home to fight in front of her family and friends.
