Claressa Shields added to her glittering CV by outpointing Danielle Perkins to become female boxing’s first undisputed heavyweight world champion.

Shields is also the first boxer, female or male, to achieve undisputed status across three different divisions in the four-belt era (heavyweight, middleweight, light-middleweight) after her win over the previously unbeaten Perkins.

Shields, boxing in her native Flint, took her unblemished record as a pro to 16-0 after flooring Perkins with a right hook in the 10th and final round, ahead of the judges scoring the fight 97-92, 99-90, and 100-89 in her favour.

The 29-year-old later revealed a shoulder problem she sustained last week meant the fight almost did not take place.

“I actually think I’m going to have to have surgery on my left arm. I tore my labrum last week, so the fight almost didn’t happen,” Shields said.

“I didn’t want to let Flint down, but I really couldn’t use my jab the way that I wanted to. I iced it, I did therapy and now I think I’m going to have a shoulder surgery.”

Good evening and welcome to tonight’s undisputed women’s heavyweight championship bout between Claressa Shields and Danielle Perkins. Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-division champion, had no shortage of lucrative offers for this fight, where she will attempt to unify all four recognized world belts in a third different weight class. But when given the choice between a marquee venue like Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and a homecoming, she chose the Michigan city of Flint. “My dream is to fight at Barclays,” Shields said this week. “But the occasion calls for me to want to bring it back home because of the history of the fight – the first women’s undisputed championship at heavyweight.”

That decision is about more than just boxing. Shields has long been a symbol of Flint’s fighting spirit, a role cemented by her portrayal in The Fire Inside, a biopic released in December. A city once fueled by the auto industry, Flint has endured decades of economic decline, depopulation, and, most infamously, the water crisis that began in 2014 when lead contamination plagued its drinking supply. While officials insist the water is now safe and the city is making a comeback, many residents remain wary, and economic hardships persist.

Claressa Shields has arrived with Papoose‼️👀#ShieldsPerkins | Live now on DAZN pic.twitter.com/v41HgtdfoD

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) February 3, 2025

Flint mayor Sheldon Neeley sees Shields as the embodiment of the city’s grit. “She really embodies the spirit of the city – coming from crisis to recovery,” he said. “It’s great that she chose her hometown to bring this great showcase here.”

A sellout crowd of 6,000 is expected tonight at Dort Financial Center, the home of the Ontario Hockey League’s Flint Firebirds, while thousands more will watch via Dazn. Shields (15-0, 3 KOs) is fresh off a dominant stoppage victory over Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse for the WBC’s version of the heavyweight title. She’s previously unified the four belts at both middleweight and light heavyweight.

Her opponent, Brooklyn’s Danielle Perkins (5-0, 2 KOs), a former college basketball player at St John’s University, is relishing the newfound attention. “I always have told Claressa that I do always appreciate everything that she’s done for boxing,” said Perkins, who hails from Brooklyn. “Her coming up to the heavyweight division is the best thing that could have ever happened to me in my entire life. No one at any point ever cared about this division until Claressa came up here.”

Stay with us for round-by-round updates, analysis and reaction from Flint, where Shields and Perkins should make their ringwalks in a little more than an hour’s time.

Claressa Shields, one of the most decorated boxers ever, takes on top-ranked contender Danielle Perkins Sunday night for a chance to win another undisputed world title.

Shields fights Perkins at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, her hometown, on Sunday night for the undisputed women’s heavyweight championship. Shields (15-0, 3 KOs), already a champion of five different weight classes, is looking to become the first boxer to win undisputed titles at three different weight classes. Perkins (5-0, 2 KOs) will have to take down Shields on her home turf to win her first championship.

Shields-Perkins headlines a night of 10 fights in the “Vehicle City” featuring four women’s fights. The co-main event is a men’s heavyweight duel between Brandon Moore and Skylar Lacy for the vacant USBA heavyweight title. Five other boxers from Michigan — Jaquan McElroy, Joseph Jerome Starks, Leon Lawson III, Joseph Hicks and Joshua James Pagan — will also fight on the card.

This fight is for the first-ever undisputed women’s heavyweight title in boxing history, and a chance for an American, male or female, to become the undisputed champion at the top weight class since 1992.

Shields is looking to become the first boxer regardless of gender to win undisputed titles in three weight classes — 154, 160 and 175. She became the first boxer to win two undisputed titles after her last fight in Flint at the Dort Financial Center in 2021.

Uncrowned has Claressa Shields vs. Danielle Perkins live results, round-by-round updates, highlights, ring walks and start time for the Shields vs. Perkins fight card on Sunday night at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, Michigan. WBC heavyweight champion Shields defends her belt against Perkins with the vacant WBA, IBF and WBO belts also on the line.

Shields (15-0, 3 KOs), Uncrowned’s No. 1 pound-for-pound women’s boxer in the world, is a five-division champion and former two-division undisputed champion, having held the undisputed super welterweight crown in 2021 and the undisputed middleweight title twice between 2019 and 2024. Shields won the WBC heavyweight title with a second-round knockout of Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse this past July.

Perkins (5-0, 2 KOs) has never been scheduled for more than eight rounds and comes into the bout as far less experienced than her championship opponent. Perkins boxed on the undercard of Shields’ fight with Lepage-Joanisse, winning a wide unanimous decision over Christianne Fahey.

Heavyweight prospects Brandon Moore (16-1, 10 KOs) and Skylar Lacy (8-0-2, 6 KOs) clash on the undercard in a bout scheduled for 10 rounds. Moore recently teamed up with Dmitry Salita’s Salita Promotions, which is promoting Sunday’s card and has a long-standing relationship with Shields.

Shields vs. Perkins begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on DAZN, with main event ring walks expected at around 11:00 p.m. ET.

Follow all of the action with Uncrowned’s live results and highlights, as well as play-by-play of the main card below.

Main Card (7:30 p.m. ET, DAZN)

Undisputed heavyweight title: Claressa Shields vs. Danielle Perkins

Heavyweight: Brandon Moore vs. Skylar Lacy

Super welterweight: Joseph Hicks Jr. vs. Keon Papillion

Super lightweight: Joshua Pagan vs. Ronal Ron

Super featherweight: Caroline Veyre vs. Carmen Vargas

Super bantamweight: Ashleyann Lozada vs. Denise Moran

This weekend, Claressa Shields will attempt to increase her collection of heavyweight titles when she takes on Danielle Perkins in a clash that has been eagerly anticipated by boxing fans for some time.

Shields will make the first defense of her WBC crown as she pursues the undisputed crown against the challenger, who is seeking her first world title.

Shields, a two-weight undisputed champion with a brilliant career so far, goes into the ring as the favorite to take the victory, but will also be wary of any possible danger in the event to be held at the Dort Financial Center in Detroit, Michigan.

The two-time Olympic champion Shields (15-0, 3 KOs) will look to keep her professional unbeaten streak alive in her hometown of Michigan against undefeated heavyweight contender Danielle Perkins.

The fight will be for Shields’ WBC heavyweight title and the WBO light heavyweight title, as well as the vacant WBA heavyweight title.

“I feel very blessed at this time in my life and career,” Shields said in a statement. “But make no mistake, every blessing came with blood, sweat and tears. My home in Flint helped shape me into the person I am today. That city, with all its struggles and strengths, built something in me that cannot be broken.

“Without Flint and the determination I developed there at an early age, I don’t know if I would be here today. I can’t wait for this homecoming event,” Claressa added.

Danielle Perkins tried to snatch Claressa Shield’s heavyweight world title earlier today. pic.twitter.com/K4cXg1Aboc

While Perkins (5-0, 2 KOs), a native of Brooklyn, New York, won her last fight by unanimous decision over Christianne Fahey in July to become the top-ranked contender, Shields has taken note of this.

“Danielle Perkins is undefeated and a strong contender, but I’ve been fighting my whole life, not just in the ring,” said Shields. “Whether it’s in my personal life, in the amateur boxing ring or as a professional world champion, I just don’t fail. February 2 will be no different.”