Claressa Shields eases past Lani Daniels to defend undisputed heavyweight title
The judges scored the bout 100-90, 99-91 and 99-91 in favor of Shields, who improved to 17-0 (3 KOs). It marked the third straight main event appearance in Detroit for the 30-year-old Flint native and two-time Olympic gold medalist, who remains the only boxer in the four-belt era to become an undisputed champion in three different weight classes.
Daniels (11-3-2, 1 KO), a 37-year-old former IBF light heavyweight titleholder from New Zealand, offered little early offense and spent the opening rounds circling the ring. Shields was forced to press the action and gradually took control with superior timing, footwork and punch variety.
By the middle rounds, Shields had closed the distance and was landing consistent body shots and combinations to the head. Daniels began to stand her ground in the sixth and seventh rounds but struggled to match Shields' output or accuracy.
The final rounds featured more two-way action, but Shields remained in control through cleaner shot selection and sharper counters. She outlanded Daniels in every round and neutralized her opponent's late pressure with disciplined defense and calculated exchanges.
The fight capped an 11-bout card broadcast on Dazn and drew an announced crowd of 15,366. Shields' previous two appearances at Little Caesars Arena also headlined boxing's return to a venue that hadn't hosted a major card until her 2023 win over Maricela Cornejo.
In the co-main event, Detroit's Tony Harrison (30-4-1, 21 KOs) returned after a 28-month layoff and scored a unanimous-decision win over Edward Diaz (15-7, 12 KOs) despite being dropped in the ninth round. Harrison, a former super-welterweight champion, was fighting for the first time since losing to Tim Tszyu in 2023.
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