Shields To Defend Unified World Heavyweight Crown In Homecoming

When the history of Boxing is written, one fighter who will be able to take credit for elevating the sport for female fighters to levels previously unthought of by many is undefeated five-division world champion Claressa Shields. If there is one word to describe Shields’ career up to this point in Boxing it would be “Dominant." First emerging on the mainstream scene as the only fighter in United States Boxing history female or male to have won two Olympic Gold medals in two consecutive Olympic Games in 2012 and 2016. Since turning pro late in 2016, she has continued to defeat all challengers compiling a record of 15-0, with 3 Knockouts and becoming an undisputed world champion as a Middleweight and Super-Middleweight, just part of an already Hall of 

Fame career that has thus far seen her win world titles in five weight divisions from Jr. Middleweight to Heavyweight.

It was in her last fight in July of last year where Shields became the unified World Heavyweight champion in scoring a second round knockout of WBC world champion Vanessa Joanisse in a fight where both the WBC and WBF World Heavyweight titles were on the line as well as the vacant WBO Light-Heavyweight world championship, giving Shields the added distinction of being only the second fighter behind the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard to have won world titles in multiple weight divisions in a single fight. An accomplishment that Leonard achieved in November 1988 when he scored a thrilling ninth round knockout of WBC Light-Heavyweight world champion Donny Lalonde, where the then newly created WBC Super-Middleweight championship in what was then a new division in the sport, was also on the line in what turned out to be regarded as one of the greatest fights of the 1980’s. While Shields’ accomplishment may not get the attention it should from some, primarily because, despite Women's Boxing having been active since the 1960’s, the sport is still very much growing and due largely to Shields’ stature throughout the entire sport, has finally been able to gain long overdue exposure and acceptance, which has in turn allowed for delayed growth with the introduction of new weight classes for female fighters.

While Shields has also ventured into the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) where she has compiled a record of 2-1, with 1 Knockout, her legacy in Boxing has continued as the subject of the recently released film The Fire Inside, which tells her life story. Shields’ story, however, will continue as she returns to her hometown of Flint, MI on Sunday, February 2nd to defend her unified World Heavyweight championship against undefeated contender Danielle Perkins at the Dort Financial Center. A fight that can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN.

While this has the appearance of and frankly is a homecoming for the champion, there is an element of the unknown here that Shields will have to contend with in not only facing a taller and physically bigger opponent in the 6’0 Perkins, but also the question of whether Shields, who began her career in the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division, will be able to take the punch of a Heavyweight. Although Shields was not tested in that regard when she won the unified Heavyweight crown in her last fight and frankly overwhelmed Vanessa Joanisse, at some point whether female or male, fighters who are not natural Heavyweights eventually hit a ceiling in terms of both how high or low they can go in weight as well as whether they can do so and continue to compete effectively. Though there is a significant difference between Women's and Men's Boxing in that female fighters tend to move up or down in weight more frequently due both to the sport still growing as well as for opportunities at different weight classes to fight for world titles as well as for financial incentives, much like their male counterparts, there comes a point where female fighters hit that ceiling. 

The champion will have an edge in experience over Danielle Perkins, who will enter this fight, her first challenge for a world championship, unbeaten with a record of 5-0, with 1 Knockout. Perkins turned pro during the global COVID-19 epidemic in the summer of 2020, but will be fighting for only the third time since a three year layoff began in 2021. A question the challenger will have to answer here, despite having the physical advantage over the 5’8 champion, is whether both a limited resume against relatively unknown opposition as well as only competing two times since her hiatus will be enough preparation to succeed against a fighter of Shields’ caliber. It will also be interesting to see how Perkins will deal with the combination punching of the champion, which often comes in volume and has proven challenging for previous opponents to combat even though Shields is not known for her punching power. The bottom line is Claressa Shields knows how to win rounds and with the majority of women's bouts still fought under rounds that are two minutes in length, Perkins will have to find a way to disrupt Shields and keep her from finding a rhythm if she wants to be successful in this fight.

Although there is not much more to say to build this fight up for the reader, it is the next chapter in the story of a great fighter, who through her achievements has been able to elevate her sport to new levels globally where fights featuring female combatants are not only featured regularly on Boxing cards here in the United States and around the world, but are now regularly featured in the main events on cards also featuring men's bouts. While the United States was late to the party in that regard as women's bouts had regularly main evented cards internationally for several years prior to Shields’ success in the Olympics as well as her professional achievements, the progress for women in the sport should not be ignored and this fight is another example of that progression for Women's Boxing.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

(* UPDATE: As this column was being prepared for publishing, it was learned that the vacant IBF, WBO, and WBA Women's World Heavyweight championships will also be on the line in addition to the WBC and WBF world titles currently held by Shields making the winner of this fight the first Undisputed Women's World Heavyweight champion in Boxing history.*)

Shields vs. Perkins takes place on Sunday, February 2nd at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, MI. The fight can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 7:30PM ET/4:30PM PT (U.S. Times Only). For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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DAZN TO BROADCAST HISTORIC “THE LAST CRESCENDO” BOXING EVENT LIVE WORLDWIDE

Press Release: January 30, 2025 By DAZN- 

Light Heavyweight Rematch Between

Beterbiev and Bivol Headlines an Unmissable Night on Saturday, 22 February 2025 

 

LONDON – January 29, 2025 – DAZN, the global home of boxing, can announce that

 it will broadcast The Last Crescendo, 

the fight card of the century, live on Saturday, 22 February 2025 worldwide. The PPV is available for purchase now

 from DAZN.com/boxing

 

 

This monumental event, part of Riyadh Season, will take place at the ANB Arena in Saudi Arabia and features a stellar line-up of championship bouts, headlined by the highly anticipated rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed light heavyweight World Championship. 

 

Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs), the reigning champion and one of boxing’s most impressive fights, is set to defend his perfect record in a rematch against Bivol (21-1, 11 KOs), who is determined to avenge his 2024 loss in what was one of the greatest bouts of the modern era. This headline fight promises to be another unforgettable chapter in boxing history. 

 

Also on the card, IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois will defend his title against former WBO champion Joseph Parker, in what many expect to be an equally exciting clash. Dubois,

 who shocked the boxing world with a stunning knockout victory over Anthony Joshua last September, looks to continue his meteoric rise. Meanwhile, Parker aims to reclaim championship glory. 

 

The night will feature an exciting slate of

additional bouts, including: 

 

·        

A WBC middleweight title showdown between

Carlos Adames and Hamzah Sheeraz, with

Sheeraz coming off a standout 2024. 

·        

Zhilei Zhang

 facing Agit Kabayel for the WBC interim heavyweight title after Zhang’s emphatic knockout of Deontay Wilder last year. 

·        

A super welterweight interim title clash between

Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Israil

Madrimov. 

·        

Shakur Stevenson defending his lightweight title against

Floyd Schofield. 

·        

British stars

Joshua Buatsi and Callum Smith battling for the interim WBO light heavyweight title. 

 

The card also highlights local talent with Saudi fighters Ziyad

Almaayouf and Mohammed Alaqel, whose opponents will be announced soon. 

 

“This is a night that truly encapsulates the spirit of boxing – the best fighting the best on a global stage,” said Pete Oliver, CEO of Growth Markets at DAZN. “We are proud to bring

 this extraordinary event to fight fans worldwide, as Riyadh once again proves itself as the premier destination for world-class sports and entertainment. From the blockbuster

Beterbiev-Bivol rematch to Dubois defending his crown,

The Last Crescendo promises to be a spectacle unlike any other. Fans will be able to watch every moment of the action on DAZN, the Global Home of Boxing”. 

Material Courtesy of: DAZN Used with permission.

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, to subscribe and order this pay-per-view event and for specific pricing in your region of the world please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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Benavidez-Morrell: Will The Winner Get A Shot At Alvarez?

As 2025 has now begun, Boxing’s 168lb. Super-Middleweight division is still dominated by one fighter, the once and perhaps future Undisputed king of the division Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who still reigns as the division’s unified world champion, despite having relinquished the IBF world championship due to his decision to face top contender Edgar Berlanga last September, rather than the International Boxing Federation’s top contender William Schull, who was due in the rotation of mandatory challengers that subsequently made up the Undisputed Super-Middleweight championship of the world. Schull went on to win the IBF crown and could still face Alvarez at some point this year in what would be a rarity in Boxing, a reunification bout involving a title that was given up by one of the champions involved due to circumstances that can only be summed up as the politics that be in the sport of Boxing.

Two fighters, however, that have been angling for a shot at Alvarez for some time will instead turn their attention to each other in what is being billed as an elimination bout in the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division are undefeated former WBC Super-Middleweight world champion David Benavidez and unbeaten top Light-Heavyweight contender David Morrell. A scheduled twelve round bout that will take place on Saturday, February 1st at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, which can be seen on Prime Video Pay-Per-View. Some might question why two fighters, whom for the moment have moved out of the Super-Middleweight division, would still be in the discussion as a potential challenger for Alvarez, especially given that the winner of this fight, in theory will be in a position to face the winner of the upcoming Undisputed Light-Heavyweight championship rematch between undefeated champion  Artur Beterbiev and former unified world champion Dmitry Bivol.

The simple answer is Alvarez, who also briefly held a portion of the World Light-Heavyweight championship in his career, is for lack of a better term, one of the sport’s cash cows and has gotten to a point in his career where he chooses his fights based more on opportunity and finances rather than legacy. While Alvarez is certainly not the first fighter to take advantage of such a status once acquired, the fact is that while both Benavidez and Morrell were Super-Middleweights, neither had the type of market appeal or drawing power that was able to convince Alvarez to fight either fighter in what would have been a high risk, low reward scenario based on both Benavidez’ and Morrell’s styles. It is also worth noting that in regard to the issue of drawing power, Benavidez was positioned in the main event of the final pay-per-view card produced by the now-defunct Showtime Sports against former two-division world champion Demitrius Andrade in November 2023 only produced 60,000 buys at a $74.99 price point. This followed a similar low drawing buyrate for Benavidez against former IBF Super-Middleweight world champion Caleb Plant in March of that year.

Although more of a reflection of an outdated pay-per-view model that this observer has been highly critical of and will continue to be so until such time as things change for the betterment of the sport, the reality of the matter is with low buyrates, which are also affected by piracy, an elephant in the room that no one in the sport likes to take about and folks who cover the sport like yours truly do not like to write about due to the obvious negative aspects attached to it, which can be directly attributed to the overuse of pay-per-view as well as the price points, which whether promoters and networks want to admit it or not, are continually rejected by consumers, there was little incentive for Alvarez to take the risk against Benavidez  as the perception was that in a promotional sense, Benavidez and his promoter the Premier Boxing Champions group of promoters needed Alvarez, more than Alvarez needed them, despite it being a fascinating fight on paper in terms of style and a dangerous one for Alvarez. Given the state of the pay-per-view model and the fact that InDemand the leading pay-per-view distributor on cable and satellite outside of satellite provider DirecTV here in the United States will be ceasing operations before the end of 2025, Benavidez is in a bit of an unfair conundrum being labeled as not a pay-per-view draw when the fact is, the whole pay-per-view concept and model is one that is severely outdated and affects every Boxing card that is placed on pay-per-view.

With the majority of Boxing events either tapped for subscription-based streaming or offered via pay-per-view via apps as this one will be through Prime Video, it remains to be seen how long the model will last with one of the biggest distributors preparing to cease operations, which would not be the case if the pay-per-view model were viable and successful now in the year 2025. Whether this fight will be any more successful than previous Benavidez/PBC pay-per-view attempts  also remains to be seen.

In terms of style, both Benavidez and Morrell are come forward pressure fighters that each have power and put forth consistent offensive output. On paper, this has all the appearance of potentially an all-action fight that will likely end within the twelve round distance. The reasoning behind this is both fighters have career knockout percentages of over 80%. What also makes this fight interesting is that because both fighters have been so dominant in facing other opposition up to this point, some might contend that neither has faced a fighter with the type of punching power that they will now be facing by facing each other.

Perhaps the question that should be asked here in regard to this encounter is whether we will see a shootout from the opening bell where they both come out with the intention of going toe to toe with the goal to try and end the fight as quickly as possible, or if one of the fighters will attempt to take a more tactical approach with the knowledge of what their opponent can do? The possibility certainly exists that, despite the styles of both Benavidez and Morrell, that both fighters will have a healthy respect for the other and therefore, be more passive in their approach at least in the early rounds. 

As one who has covered thousands of fights over the last three decades between fighters who are labeled as “Knockout Artists," this is an instance where this observer cannot give an educated guess as to what might happen. This appears to be an evenly matched fight where, despite my experience and a lifetime as a proud Boxing lifer, I cannot see a way where things might lean in terms of who has a theoretical advantage. Although a mandatory position, at least in theory in the WBC’s Light-Heavyweight ratings is on the line, whether it be the Beterbiev-Bivol winner that will be next for the winner of this fight, or if Saul Alvarez will use his clout to interject himself into the equation either for the winner here between Benavidez and Morrell or the winner of the rematch between Beterbiev and Bivol, which can all be talked about after this fight, this is one occasion that I am very much looking forward to the opening bell between Benavidez and Morrell. It is too early to use the selling point of "Fight of the Year Candidate," but I would not dismiss the possibility.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Benavidez vs. Morrell takes place on Saturday, February 1st at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight as well as it's undercard can be seen on digital entertainment and sports streaming platform Prime Video on a pay-per-view basis for $79.99. The card will begin at 6PM ET/3PM PT with preliminary bouts followed by the pay-per-view card, which will begin at 8PM ET/5PM PT. For more information about Prime Video please visit: www.PrimeVideo.com for information on how to download the Prime Video app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs. To order this pay-per-view event search Benavidez vs. Morrell within the Prime Video app or Click Here.

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Benavidez-Morrell PPV Card Now Available For Preorder On Prime Video

Credit: Prime Video 

The upcoming pay-per-view card headlined by a WBC Light-Heavyweight elimination bout between undefeated former WBC Super-Middleweight world champion David Benavidez and undefeated top Light-Heavyweight contender David Morrell is now available for preorder on Prime Video. The card, which will take place on Saturday, February 1st at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV is being promoted by the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters for $79.99. To order this pay-per-view event on Prime Video Click Here. We will have a preview of Benavidez-Morrell released here on The Boxing Truth®️ on Wednesday, January 29th. Stay tuned.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Inoue KO's Kim In 4

Undefeated Undisputed Jr. Featherweight world champion Naoya Inoue scored a fourth round knockout of WBO number eleven rated Jr. Featherweight contender Ye Joon Kim on Friday night at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. Despite Kim taking the fight on eleven days notice, over 15,000 spectators filled the Ariake Arena, a site that has hosted several of Inoue’s previous fights. A testament to the star power of Inoue in his native Japan where he has become in many observer’s opinions as among the best fighters pound for pound in the world.

This fight also presented a little of a different challenge for the four-division world champion in having to adjust to a change of opponent after original opponent, IBF mandatory challenger Sam Goodman was forced to pull out of the fight twice, first on the original date on Christmas Eve of last year and then having to pull out of the rescheduled date of January 24th due to the cut that he suffered in training prior to the original postponement. Kim appeared to be a capable opponent who stepped in to take the assignment in his first opportunity to fight for a world championship.

The fight began with Kim initially pressing forward and slightly moving Inoue backward fighting out of the southpaw stance. This set up an interesting tactical battle as the two fighters prodded for position with each attempting to attack the other in short bursts of offense with the champion gradually taking over the position as the fighter applying consistent pressure on the challenger. Despite consistently pushing Kim back against the ropes and periodically cornering him, the fight remained very close with Kim being able to periodically land combinations to the head throughout the first three rounds.

As the fight moved into the fourth round, it appeared as though it would be more of the same. The subtle work Inoue was able to do to Kim’s body, however, that was mostly non-descript up to that point, began to create openings to the challenger’s head. Inoue connected with a combination to the head, which had Kim waving him in seemingly inviting the champion, a fighter with a 90% career knockout percentage to throw more at him. This would prove to be a serious mistake as moments later a straight right hand down the middle landed flush on the challenger’s chin and sent him down to the canvas where he was unable to beat the count. At 2:25 of round four, the fight was over in a way that so many of Inoue’s fights have ended throughout his Hall of Fame career, in a sudden and brutal fashion. 

While many expected this type of outcome for Inoue in his latest title defense given the circumstances in which the fight came to fruition, this observer feels that Inoue was not only impressive in his latest performance in his tenth consecutive knockout victory, but he also showed the ability to adapt to a change in opponent on limited notice and even conceded that due to the limited time, he did not study as much film on Kim as he would like. Given the circumstances and the champion’s candor in admitting having limited time to study his opponent before getting in the ring, his ability to seemingly adjust to what was in front of him was impressive.

Perhaps the most interesting development to come out of this fight for the champion, however, is that his co-promoter Hall of Famer Bob Arum announced to the crowd in attendance that Inoue will be returning to the United States for the first time in nearly four years for his next fight in the spring in Las Vegas, which was followed by Inoue telling the crowd that he also intends to fight in Saudi Arabia this year, which has rapidly become a hot spot in the sport as well. 

Frankly, Inoue is one of the few fighters in the sport who could stay where he is comfortable competing, which is in Japan and not only draw massive crowds wherever he fights in the country, but also per his dominance in the sport and that ability to be a massive draw both as a ticket seller and as a fighter that will draw ratings both in Japan and internationally where his fights air in the early morning hours here in the United States via streaming networks, to convince fighters from around the world to travel to Japan to face him where at least financially there is no incentive to go elsewhere. To his credit, however, Naoya Inoue realizes that Boxing is a true global entity and his wanting to not only return to the United States, but also take part in the sport’s global expansion where he will no doubt help open Boxing to new eyes should be seen as a positive both for his legacy and the sport overall. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Inoue-Kim Weights From Tokyo, Japan

The official weigh-in for Friday's Undisputed Jr. Featherweight world championship fight between undefeated champion Naoya Inoue and challenger Ye Joon Kim took place earlier today in Tokyo, Japan. The fight, which can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+ will headline a card of Boxing held at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. Both champion Inoue and Kim weighed in identically just under the 122lb. Jr. Featherweight limit at 121 ¾ lbs. The bout is scheduled for twelve rounds.  As of this writing, there is no word regarding what other bouts on the card, which includes four additional bouts, will be included on the ESPN+ broadcast.

Inoue vs. Kim takes place on Friday, January 24th at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The fight can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+  beginning at 4:15AM ET/1:15AM PT and will be available for on demand viewing immediately following the live broadcast. 

(*Card and Start Time Subject to Change*)

(*Check your local listings internationally.*)

For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. 

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Can Inoue Adjust To A Change On Short Notice?

There is little doubt that one of the biggest stars to emerge in the sport of Boxing over the last several years, not just in the lower weight divisions, but in the entire sport has been Nayoa Inoue. If a fighter with a near 90% career knockout percentage is not enough to earn one star status in the sport on its own, Inoue is a four-division world champion, who has this far won world titles from the Jr. Flyweight to the Jr. Featherweight divisions becoming an undisputed champion in both the Bantamweight and Jr. Featherweight divisions along the way. 

A fighter that has truly carved a Hall of Fame career in just twenty-eight professional fights having fought a who's who along the way, dominating all opposition and emerging still unbeaten. While the question that typically follows a fighter like Inoue who has gone through multiple weight divisions with relative ease is how high up the weight scale before they hit the ceiling, not just in terms of how high they can go, but also doing so while still remaining competitive, Inoue is preparing to do something we have not seen him faced with before on a big stage. The Undisputed Jr. Featherweight champion of the world will defend his crown on Friday, January 24th in a familiar site, the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, site of many of his fights throughout his career. 

Inoue, however, will not be facing WBO number one Jr. Featherweight contender Sam Goodman, whom he was scheduled to face on Christmas Eve 2024 before it was postponed due to Goodman suffering a cut while in training. Despite the flight being moved to January 24th, Goodman would suffer a second cut after resuming training forcing him to withdraw for a second time. Rather than postpone a scheduled bout for a second time, Inoue will still defend his title on January 24th. In steps WBO number eleven Jr. Featherweight contender Ye Joon Kim to challenge Inoue for the Undisputed Jr. Featherweight crown in a fight that can be seen here in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+.

Although this presents a challenge for Inoue in facing an opponent change with only a few weeks notice, just who is Ye Joon Kim? A veteran of twenty-five professional fights, he has a respectable record of 21-2-2, with 13 Knockouts with a career knockout percentage just over 61%. While this suggests Kim has punching power, he is a boxer/puncher who will enter this fight having won four of his last five bouts via stoppage. The challenger, who is a native of Seoul, South Korea, who goes by the nickname “The Troublemaker," has never been stopped in his career, which in of itself is interesting given Inoue’s reputation as a "Knockout Artist” having knocked out twenty-five of his previous twenty-eight opponents.

The question for "The Troublemaker” here will be whether he will be able to deal with not only the occasion of fighting on the big stage of the sport for the first time, but also the non-stop pressure and attack of the champion known to his fans worldwide as "The Monster." While “The Troublemaker vs. The Monster" is certainly a clever promotional tagline that by circumstance fell into the promoters of this fight’s hands, it is important to keep in mind that there have been few fighters that have been able to last against Inoue and it has proven to be a difficult task to achieve in going the distance with him, let alone come close to scoring a victory over him. 

Perhaps what Kim has in his favor going into this fight beyond coming in on short notice, which is as much an adjustment for the fighter taking the bout as it is for the fighter who had a scheduled opponent fall out, is a bit of the unknown as far as what he will pose in terms of a challenge once he and the champion Inoue are in the ring. There are likely some who are expecting Inoue to for lack of a better term, steamroll through a largely unknown opponent. If Kim and his team are expecting the champion to come out with intentions of ending the fight quickly, it could work to his advantage if he is prepared to show from the outset that he will be dictating how this fight is fought and not the champion. 

Some may say that Kim needs to land someone significant early in order to get the champion's respect, but if this is a rare circumstance where Inoue is not as prepared as he normally is due to a postponement and his scheduled opponent withdrawing twice, if Kim can make things uncomfortable for the champion simply by controlling the pace and making Inoue fight at a pace that favors him more, it could indicate where his chances are to pull what would be considered an upset, especially if Inoue is not prepared to go the twelve round distance on short notice. 

Boxing is certainly a sport of opportunity and as one fighter’s opportunity has for the moment been delayed again due to injury, it now provides another with what could be the ideal opportunity to seize the day and potentially score the first upset of 2025. Whether Kim can do that remains to be seen. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Inoue vs. Kim takes place on Friday, January 24th at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The fight can be seen in the United States on digital subscription sports streaming network ESPN+  beginning at 4:15AM ET/1:15AM PT and will be available for on demand viewing immediately following the live broadcast. 

(*Card and Start Time Subject to Change*)

(*Check your local listings internationally.*)

For more information about ESPN+ including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, and to subscribe please visit: www.ESPNPlus.com. 

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