But since entering the glamour division, Shields’ power has been nightmarish as she has tallied four knockdowns in two fights to become the undisputed heavyweight queen.
In the midst of calling Laila Ali out for a mega fight, Shields will look for another highlight reel victory when she puts her undisputed crown on the line against New Zealander Lani Daniels at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, and live on DAZN, on Saturday night.
After dropping Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse three times toward a second-round TKO last July, Shields (16-0, 3 knockouts) delivered a scintillating knockdown of Danielle Perkins in the waning seconds of their fight for a unanimous decision in February.
Daniels (11-2-2, 1 KO) became the IBF light heavyweight world champion after defeating Desley Robinson by majority decision in December 2023, before scoring a unanimous decision over Bolatito Oluwole in September. Challenging Shields will mark Daniels’ first fight at heavyweight and her first bout outside of her native New Zealand.
Will Shields once again exemplify why she is the ‘GWOAT’ with more fireworks in another dazzling win? Or will Daniels pull off a massive upset and turn Shields’ home state of Michigan into her own coronation as the queen of boxing?
With the stakes riding high, DAZN News analyzes the keys to victory for both the undisputed champion and challenger.
Claressa Shields’ Keys to Victory
Assert the jab early
The quicker Claressa Shields can assert the jab — doubling and even tripling up on the weapon as she likes to do — the easier she can carve out the space to unload the heavy artillery.That makes the jab a pointed key for Shields.
Catch Daniels with the counter left hook
Shields possesses a sharp counter left hook that she likes to use to catch an unsuspecting, aggressive opponent off guard.If Lani Daniels is going to attempt to fight forward and actually walk Shields down, the ‘GWOAT’ checking her with a timed counter left hook could be just the punch necessary to make Daniels reconsider her strategy.
Unload the big right hand
It could be detonated as an overhand right which Shields throws with whiplashing action.It could be unleashed as a counterpunch right hook which she used to drop Lepage-Joannise in a heap, or Perkins in the 10th and final round to put an exclamation point on her unanimous decision victory.
Just know the ‘GWOAT’s’ big right hand is coming.
If Shields is able to land this shot flush against Daniels, she will have an excellent chance of defending her undisputed heavyweight crown with another highlight victory.
Lani Daniels’ Keys to Victory
Change levels, slip, roll and fire often
Watch Lani Daniels closely and you’ll see the New Zealander show consistent ability to change levels effectively, and also slip, roll, and explode upwards with a sharp left or right hook.This elusiveness could be what is needed for Daniels to attempt to frustrate the ‘GWOAT’ and possibly make this fight very intriguing.
Stay composed
In Daniels’ first fight at heavyweight, she is not only going up against arguably the greatest women’s boxer of all time in Shields, but also at the Flint, Michigan native’s backyard of Detroit.That marks plenty to overcome for Daniels who must stay composed throughout Saturday night to have a chance at an upset.
She loses her composure fighting on the biggest stage of her career and Shields will overwhelm her.
Go all out in attempting to walk Shields down
Daniels’ coach John ‘The Rebel’ Conway wants to see how Shields responds on the backfoot.It is a highly risky strategy considering Shields has responded to being pressed by setting off heavy-handed counter fireworks that have left her opponents tasting the canvas in both of her heavyweight fights.
But team Daniels insists they see holes in Shields’ game.
And if those perceived flaws can be exposed by trying to walk Shields down, they are worthy of being attempted as a high risk, high rewards gameplan toward what would be one of the biggest upsets in the sport if it works.
