Can Claressa Shields beat light heavyweight champion Lani Daniels and retain heavyweight gold at the Little Caesars Arena? The fight on July 26 airs on DAZN.
Shields (16-0) has held gold in multiple weight classes, becoming undisputed in three divisions. She saw there was a wide opening at heavyweight and took over the division in February.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist uses her power to her advantage, though she only has three wins via knockout. Shields may try for a knockout after what her opponent’s team said about her looking to take Shields out.
“I was giving Lani Round 7, and I’m gonna knock her out, you know, up to Round 7,” Shields said via the Detroit Free Press. “But from what her coach got there and said today, that done piss me clean off, saying that she gonna stand there and fight me and she gonna brawl at me.
“It may be another second or third-round knockout, man, I’m not even gonna lie to you. Second or third.”
Daniels (11-2-2) has proven to be a threat thanks to her calculating offense. “The Smiling Assassin” and her team have embraced the role of underdog and are ready to face what could be her toughest challenge to date.
“Lani fears Claressa, but she is about facing her fears and accomplishing the win,” trainer John Conway told BoxingScene. “She [Shields] is by far the best women’s boxer out there, but we want to fight the best. That is what we are preparing for.
“If anyone doesn’t admit or recognize that they are fearful when fighting a great fighter, they are just lying to themselves. We accept what is coming ahead, and that is part of the reason we will win the fight.”
With the help of the FanDuel Sportsbook, The Sporting News looks at the odds for this fight and makes a final prediction.
Claressa Shields vs. Lani Daniels betting odds
Per the FanDuel Sportsbook, Claressa Shields is the -4500 favorite, while Lani Daniels is the +1180 underdog.
Claressa Shields vs. Lani Daniels betting trends
Via the FanDuel Sportsbook:
- Shields via KO/TKO: +140
- Shields via decision: -180
- Daniels via KO/TKO: +3900
- Daniels via decision: +2600
- Draw: +3800
MORE: How to bet on combat sports
Claressa Shields vs. Lani Daniels odds, prediction
Shields has been fighting for gold since 2017, while Daniels has been competing for local gold and beyond around the same time. However, the competition between the two has been vastly different.
Ranked high in the pound-for-pound list, Shields has a +/- of 14.2, the best among active boxers. She ranks seventh (50.1) in total punches thrown per round and fifth (16.1) in punches landed, with a connect percentage of 32.1%. Shields lands the fourth-most power shots (13.4).
Against Savannah Marshall, Shields landed 175 of 480 shots (36.5%). She landed over 20 shots three times early in the fight. Against Maricela Cornejo, Shields delivered 124 of 485 shots landed (25.6%) and connected only once with single-digit shots.
MORE: The case for two vs. three-minute rounds in women’s boxing
In her first true test at heavyweight, Shields landed 29% of her shots (85 of 290) against Danielle Perkins. While she only produced double-digit shots once, she did get a knockdown in the tenth.
Daniels is a light heavyweight champion, and there is no denying her skills. She has faced a variety of talent in her career, but not of the same caliber as Shields. All of her fights except one have gone the distance, and no fighter has gotten down from her punches.
Shields’ opponents land the second-least total punches (6.1) with a bleak 17.9% connect percentage. The “G.W.O.A.T” maintains a good range and forces her opponents to try to reach in. She can break them down with ease, regardless of status in the sport.
Compared to recent competition for Shields, Daniels may have a better chin. That’s why The Sporting News predicts the fight will go the distance. It should still be wide scorecards in favor of Shields, but Daniels could make it somewhat entertaining to start.
Sporting News prediction: Shields via unanimous decision
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