Claressa Shields defeated WBC heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse with a knockout in the early seconds of the second round on Saturday night, securing titles across her fourth and fifth weight divisions.
A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Shields ascended two weight classes to compete at 175lbs as a light heavyweight, additionally claiming the heavyweight belt held by her Canadian opponent. Her previous championships were at 154, 160, and 168lbs.
With this victory, she joins Roy Jones Jr. as the only two boxers to win both middleweight and heavyweight titles in over a century, solidifying her status as one of the greatest athletes across all sports, according to Shields.
“What I’ve achieved in my career, from amateur to professional, places me in the top five,” remarked the 29-year-old. “If you want to rank me alongside Michael Jordan, Kobe [Bryant], Serena Williams, and Muhammad Ali, I belong in that discussion.”
Shields (15-0, 3 KOs) concluded the first round with a sequence of combinations and began the second with more, landing a barrage of punches that knocked Lepage-Joanisse down for the third and final time just 1:09 into the round. Lepage-Joanisse (22-3-1) struggled to maintain footing from the onset of the bout.
Shields made her return to the ring for the first time since defending her undisputed middleweight title with a dominant unanimous decision over Maricela Cornejo nearly 14 months ago.
In the interim, she improved to 2-1 as an MMA fighter in February.
Shields added 15lbs to her frame, then shed 5lbs to weigh in just under 175lbs for Saturday’s clash.
“I enjoyed a lot of pho,” she shared. “Usually, I have to be cautious with noodles during training because of the carbs.”
She sparred against male opponents, including one weighing 190lbs, and adjusted her strength and conditioning regimen.
“Watching Vanessa in her previous fights, she has been able to push her opponents back due to her strong legs,” Shields noted on Thursday. “We ensured that I had sufficient leg power to assert myself and not get overwhelmed, along with focusing on strength in my arms.”
Shields earned gold medals in the women’s middleweight category at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, making history as the first American boxer to win consecutive Olympic titles. She is the sole American to secure Olympic gold in boxing since 2004 and was honored as Sportswoman of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation last October.
Shields has become a significant draw, bringing boxing to Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena for the first time last year and repeating the feat by headlining a card that featured emerging fighters, with the floor seats sold out and the lower level largely occupied.
