Claressa Shields vs Lani Daniels live updates, results, how to watch fight

USA Today

2 days ago

Claressa Shields is set to defend her undisputed heavyweight title Saturday, July 26, against 'The Smiling Assassin.'
That would be Lani Daniels, a New Zealander with an irrepressible smile she wears everywhere but inside the boxing ring.
Daniels, 37, held the IBF world heavyweight title in 2023 and currently holds the IBF light heavyweight title. Quick and athletic, she's won seven fights in a row. Yet she's still a significant underdog against Shields, and for good reason.
Daniels did not start boxing until she was 24. Shields, 30, started her boxing career at 15 and since then has won two Olympic gold medals, world titles in five divisions and undisputed world titles in three divisions.
In Shields' 80 fights as an amateur and pro, she has lost once (to Savannah Marshall in 2012). It's unlikely Daniels will hand Shields loss No. 2.
USA TODAY Sports has you covered with updates, analysis and highlights from the Claressa Shields vs Lani Daniels card here:
Claressa Shields vs Lani Daniels: Time, PPV, streaming for fight
Claressa Shields will face Lani Daniels on Saturday, July 26 at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Watch Shields v Daniels with DAZN PPV
Pryce Taylor vs. Robert Simms: Round-by-round analysis
Heavyweight bout, 8 rounds
Samantha Worthington def. Victoire Piteau by majority decision
Claressa Shields came out to watch Worthington, who was seeking her eighth knockout and to maintain her unbeaten record.
Worthington had to settle for something less decisive, beating Piteau by majority decision in their 10-round bout to win the WBA super lightweight interim title.
Worthington dominated the first half of the fight and did just enough to prevail after Piteau mounted a comeback.
The judges scored it 99-91, 95-95, 96-94 for Worthington, a 29-year-old from Lexington, Kentucky, who improved to 12-0.
Piteau, a 26-year-old from France, fell to 14-3.
Samantha Worthington vs Victoire Piteau: Round-by-round analysis
For the WBA super lightweight interim title, 10 rounds
With the WBA super lightweight interim title up for grabs, here come Samantha Worthington and Victoire Piteau. And make note that Worthington has 7 KO's while winning all 11 of her fights. Worthington the aggressor and landing big shots early. Now attacking the body with her right hand. Piteau unleashes a flurry, but without Worthington's power. Worthington 10, Piteau 9
Worthington comes out charging hard. The two exchange sharp blows, and Piteau is not backing down. But Worthington is almost relentless and more powerful than Piteau. Worthington 20, Piteau 18
Claressa Shields is three rows behind Worthington's corner watching the fight, according to DAZN. Piteau throwing a flurry and Worthington responds with a sledgehammer of a right. Worthington 30, Piteau 27
Piteau bravely staying within range of Worthington's punches. She's eating punches in exchange for chances to land them too. Now Worthington makes her pay. The gutsy Piteau lands a combination and deserves the round. Worthington 39, Piteau 37
Piteau still standing her ground and eats a big left. Worthington now attacking Piteau's body. Piteau just keeps swinging, with less authority than frequency. Worthington walking through the punches, some hard ones, too. Worthington 49, Piteau 46
Piteau firing away with her pistols as Worthington tries to load up with the howitzer. Worthington shoves a left into Piteau's face. But she responds with a right. Lands a hard right, too, as the round ends. Worthington 58, Piteau 56
Worthington digs in with body shots. Piteau has weathered the storm and now she's the one who looks relentless. Worthington 67, Piteau 66
Worthington charges out and lands punches, but Piteau fires back. Worthington is landing the big shots again, despite the peppering coming her way from Piteau. Now Worthington appears to be tiring. Piteau lands some late counterpunches, but it's Worthington's round. Worthington 77, Piteau 75
Piteau's tank doesn't look to be close to empty as she keeps firing away. Worthington has lost her snap and eats a big right. Piteau lands a combination and Worthington is unable to dominate as she did early in this fight. Worthington 86, Piteau 85
Worthington comes out swinging, and Piteau is swinging back. Worthington connects with a solid right. And another. But Piteau fights back and lands a solid right of her own. Sensational exchange as the round comes to a close. Worthington 96, Piteau 94
Caroline Veyre def. Licia Boudersa by unanimous decision
Veyre smothered Boudersa, landing 158 punches to only 60 punches for Boudersa in their 10-round featherweight fight. It ended with Boudersa bleeding badly – largely because of an accidental headbutt – and the outcome in no doubt.
The judges scored it 99-91, 98-92, 99-91 for Veyre, a 36-year-old from Canada who improved to 10-1.
Boudersa, a 32-year-old from France, fell to 24-4-2.
Caroline Veyre vs. Licia Boudersa: Round-by-round analysis
Featherweight bout, 10 rounds
Caroline Veyre bounced back from her first loss with two victories. Licia Boudersa needs a win to boost her stock after going 2-2 in her last four fights. And here they come as the bell rings. Boudersa comes out firing jabs. Veyre mostly on the defensive. Boudersa looks substantially bigger too as she uncorks her right hand. Impressive opening for Boudersa. Boudersa 10, Veyre 9
Boudersa throwing effective jabs. Fighters got tangled up and that appears to be Veyre's strategy, get inside and neutralize the jabs. Veyre lands a couple of hard lefts. Bounce-back round for Veyre. Boudersa 19, Veyre 19
Early exchange won by Veyre. She's showing considerable aggression and lands a shot to the body. With Boudersa against the ropes, Veyre lands a flurry of shots. Veyre showing terrific footwork too while landing more punches. Veyre 29, Boudersa 28
Boudersa warned by the referee for holding. Boudersa was not warned for the two lefts Veyre landed on her. Another solid round for Veyre. Veyre 39, Boudersa 37
Veyre lands a head-snapping jab. Boudersa exerting plenty of effort but struggling to get to Veyre, who remains active and is putting together combinations. Boudersa responds with a big right. Veyre 49, Boudersa 46
Veyre comes out aggressively again and lands combinations. Boudersa winds up and throws the right. Swing and a miss. Twice. Veyre throwing with less velocity but with precision. And now Boudersa is bleeding badly from the nose. Veyre lands two solid lefts and is going in for the kill. Quick on her feet, too. Veyre 59, Boudersa 55
Boudersa shows some fight, but this is about more skill than fight. Boudersa eats another right and Boudersa is warned for the second time about shoving down Veyre. Veyre lands a combination and Boudersa collapses on Veyre after pushing her down. Cheap move. Veyre 69, Boudersa 64
Looks like more target practice for Veyre, landing an assortment of punches. Stiff jab to Boudersa's face. And another. Veyre's quickness paying off big time. Veyre 79, Bourdesa 73
Boudersa throws a couple of big overhand rights. At least one of those landed. Ref now warns Veyre for holding. Inside fighting ensues. Boudersa bleeding badly from the left eye resulting from a headbutt. Veyre attacking now. Blood coating both boxers. What a mess. Veyre 89, Boudersa 82
Bell rings but Boudersa remains on her stool. Now she's up and ready to go. Credit Boudersa. Showing no sign of quit. And, well, no sign of winning. Boudersa lands a terrific straight right. Veyre looks unfazed. A nice left from Boudersa as the fight comes to a close. Veyre 98, Boudersa 92
Claressa Shields vs. Lani Daniels fight card results
Claressa Shields vs. Lani Daniels fight card
Claressa Shields vs. Lani Daniels fight card odds
Fight card, according to DAZN and odds according to BetMGM on Saturday.
Claressa Shields vs. Lani Daniels Predictions
Staff writes: "Perkins comes into the bout looking to play spoiler. The 42-year-old will be the biggest opponent that Shields has seen in the ring, but is still considered to be a massive underdog."
Apratim Banerjee writes: "Claressa Shields is certainly the more decorated athlete heading into the contest and she is the favorite for a reason. However, Shields is making a jump to heavyweight. That said, Danielle Perkins is naturally a heavyweight and could have the strength and weight advantage over Shields, making her chances interesting. However, Shields is too experienced and crafty and should be able to manage a decision win against Perkins. A finish looks unlikely to take place."
Staff writes: "Shields is the more polished boxer and will control the pace of the fight. She will force Daniels on her back foot right from the opening bell. Her accurate jabs will prevent her opponent from gaining any kind of momentum. Shields will also target Daniels' body to limit her movement inside the ring."
Claressa Shields expects sellout crowd
Claressa Shields is expected to fight in front of a sellout crowd of 19,000 at Little Caesars Arena, according to the fight card's promoter, Dmitriy Salita.
'Yeah, we're definitely going to have a packed out arena,'' Shields told USA TODAY Sports earlier this week. 'We're doing really great at ticket sales. I don't know if I can announce how much the ticket sales is yet, what our gate was, but it's highest gate that I've done so far and we have worked so hard on this.''
Claressa Shields drug test drama
This fight was Claressa Shields' first since testing positive for marijuana after her victory over Danielle Perkins by unanimous decision Feb. 2 in Flint, Michigan. Shields was suspended for five weeks before Michigan officials said evidence showed that a procedural error occurred during the drug test and Shields would face no disciplinary action.
Claressa Shields to clash with Jake Paul company?
Claressa Shields, the star of Salita Promotions, addressed whether Salita Promotions might one day be rivals with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), co-founded by Jake Paul. MVP partnered with Netflix on an all-women card held in front of a sellout crowd of 19,729 on July 11 at Madison Square Garden.
'Hey, they got all those good girls on the roster,'' Shields said of MVP, 'but they don't have the greatest and that's a problem for them.''
Of course, Shields was referring to herself, the self-described G.W.O.A.T. (Greatest Woman Of All-Time).
'I wish them well, but at the end of the day, I've always been a one-woman army and looks like I'm winning the war so far.''
Claressa Shields sizes up Lani Daniels
Yet another Claressa Shields fight, yet another victim? She sized up her next opponent, Lani Daniels, during an interview with USA TODAY Sports.
'She's not as big as Danielle Perkins,'' Shields said, referring to her last opponent, 'but she's very elusive. She's fast, she's aggressive, she's very awkward and I look forward to figuring it out and fighting her on Saturday.
'I am very great at being very strategic and figuring out how about putting my opponent through the most pain and beat 'em up in here. And that's my own goal is just to beat her up. I want to beat Lani Daniels up. I want to put her on an entertaining fight. I want to collect some more belts and I want to continue to let everybody know I'm the greatest woman of all time because the things that I do these other girls can't do.''
Claressa Shields' new tattoo
Shields' newest tattoo, apparent when she shifted the top of her swimsuit at the weigh-in, is 'Papoose.'' Papoose, born Shamele Mackie, is a rapper and Shields' boyfriend.
Papoose relationship history with Remy Ma
Papoose, a New York rapper born Shamele Mackie who is Claressa Shields' boyfriend, is embroiled in a messy divorce from Remy Ma, also a rapper from New York. On May 22, Papoose posted on Instagram what he said was confirmation that a complaint or divorce had been filed.
'The only reason I haven't filed previously Is for the sake of my daughter,'' he wrote on Instagram, suggesting the drama has turned the situation 'into a circus.''
Shields and Papoose acknowledged their relationship at the end of last year after Papoose and Remy Ma were estranged.
Papoose net worth
The net worth of Papoose (47), Claressa Shields' boyfriend, is $500,000, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Shields (30) has a net worth of between $5 million and $10 million, according to Finance Monthly.
Who is Remy Ma?
Remy Ma, the estranged wife of Papoose, in December posted text messages she said showed Papoose and Claressa Shields were having an affair before the boxer and rapper had publicly acknowledged the romance. Papoose fired back on Instagram, writing that Remy Ma chose 'to cheat repeatedly.''
Remy Ma is a four-time Grammy-nominated rapper from the Bronx who also has appeared on reality shows such as "Love & Hip Hop.''
Claressa Shields is candid about camera
On X, Shields wrote, 'Everyone want they face in the camera. Sit down it ain't bout you today.''
Surely Shields means the camera is for her.
Claressa Shields and Laila Ali feud continues
Claressa Shields is putting her undisputed heavyweight title on the line against Lani Daniels Saturday, July 26, but a piece of her mind is occupied by someone else.
Laila Ali.
Shields and her team have said they put $15 million in escrow for Ali — provided she agrees to fight Shields. Four days since they made the offer, Ali has yet to respond, according to Shields.
'Do you want to entertain a fight or do you not?'' Shields said, referring to Muhammad Ali's daughter. 'And I think that she should let me and the public know because the public is very, very interested. ...
Read more on what Claressa Shields had to say about rival Laila Ali.
Claressa Shields eyes motherhood ahead of fight
World champion Claressa Shields joined The Pivot Podcast ahead of her highly anticipated fight against Lani Daniels in Michigan on Saturday, July 26, where she discussed her future outside of boxing.
The Pivot Podcast, hosted by former NFL players Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor, featured a discussion with boxing star Shields. During the episode, she announced her plans to start a family with her partner, rapper Papoose, next year. She explained that one of the main reasons for this decision is her desire to be present for her children rather than waiting until later in her career to start a family. Although she plans to take time off to have a child, she intends to return to the ring to continue her boxing career at some point. — Elizabeth Flores
Shields news: Boxing star Claressa Shields joins The Pivot Podcast and shares plans to start a family
Claressa Shields' gift beyond boxing
Claressa Shields says she has a gift beyond boxing.
'Attention has always just kind of came to me,'' Shields told USA TODAY Sports. ' I can go and hide in the corner and people would still find a way to (approach her). People gravitate toward me and it's been that way my entire life.''
On Saturday, July 29, Shields is expected to fight in front of a sellout crowd of 19,000 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, according to Dmitriy Salita, promoter of the 11-fight card with Shields putting her undisputed heavyweight title against Lani Daniels in the main event.
Josh Peter has more on Shields and her gift beyond boxing.
Claressa Shields wows at weigh-in
Claressa Shields turned heads at the weigh-in a day before her fight against Lani Daniels in Detroit, Saturday, July 26.
The undisputed women's heavyweight champion wore high heels, a fur coat, an eye-catching swimsuit and a G.W.O.A.T. chain.
Before Shields stepped on the scale, someone brushed her long blond hair and she flexed her biceps. Her official weight: 174.6 pounds.
𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅𝐅 👀Claressa Shields 🆚 Lani Daniels for undisputed heavyweight glory 👑#ShieldsDaniels | July 26 | Live on DAZN | #FlashSale pic.twitter.com/AA7ktkAEqX
Claressa Shields vs. Lani Daniels main card, ring walk start times
Boxing news: Claressa Shields arrives for weigh-in clad in unforgettable outfit
Claressa Shields parents
Claressa Shields' father, Clarence, signed her up for boxing, according to Shields. '…even though, he did not want me to actually fight!'' she wrote on Instagram. 'My dad believed in my dreams and me at very young age! I thank God for him! He's who I get my loud laugh, Gift of gab and quick jab from: I can really write paragraphs about my dad!''
Of her mother, Marcella Adams, Shields wrote on Instagram, 'My mama is my biggest supporter and supports everything I do. She has a hard job because I ain't the average woman. And wasn't the average kid. Imagine a little skinny girl coming home with a busted lip or a black eye from boxing the boys.''
Claressa Shields vs. Lani Daniels live stream, price
Claressa Shields will face Lani Daniels on Saturday, July 26, and the event will be streamed on DAZN. In the U.S., fans can purchase the event for $29.99.
'The Fire Inside' movie
'The Fire Inside,'' a movie about Claressa Shields' life and boxing career, was released in December. Ryan Destiny, the actress whose work includes roles in the FOX TV musical 'Star,'' played Shields.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie scored impressively – 93 percent based on 120 reviews and 94 percent based on more than 500 verified ratings. But the movie has generated $8.1 million at the box office, about $4 million less than its budget.
Claressa Shields vs. Lani Daniels: Tale of the tape