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Flint, Michigan — Claressa Shields made the decision to host her upcoming fight in her hometown instead of taking the opportunity to headline major boxing events in cities like New York, Las Vegas, or Detroit. Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and holder of three division titles, will be facing top-ranked contender Danielle Perkins for the undisputed heavyweight championship on Sunday night in Flint.
In a recent interview, Shields revealed, “This fight could have been anywhere in the world from Barclays Center to T-Mobile and to LCA. We were like, ‘Either you want to fight at the Barclays Center or do you want to fight in Flint?’ My dream is to fight at the Barclays, 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.”
Shields is bringing attention to Flint, just as she did in her December film, “The Fire Inside.” Flint, located approximately 90 miles north of Detroit and originally the birthplace of General Motors, has experienced significant economic fluctuations over the past century as the automaker influenced the community’s development, withdrawal, and eventual attempts to adapt to new market demands.
In 2014, Flint changed its water source to the Flint River while waiting for a new pipeline from Lake Huron to be built. Unfortunately, the river water was inadequately treated to prevent corrosion, resulting in lead from aged pipes contaminating the water supply in homes, businesses, and schools. After 18 months, the city reverted to drawing water from the Detroit supply. Since then, testing has shown that Flint’s water has remained below federal action levels for lead and copper, although some residents remain cautious and opt for filters or bottled water.
According to the 2010 Census, Flint’s population had declined to around 100,000, having lost approximately 20,000 residents in the preceding decade. Mayor Sheldon Neeley shared that the city is on a path to recovery, with safe drinking water and new job opportunities being established to assist residents in managing their financial responsibilities.
Shields, in Neeley’s view, epitomizes the resilience of Flint’s inhabitants. He stated, “She really embodies the spirit of the city of Flint — coming from crisis to recovery. And it’s great that she chose her hometown to be able to bring this great showcase here.”
A full house of about 6,000 spectators is expected at the Dort Financial Center, the venue for the fight and home to the Ontario Hockey League’s Flint Firebirds. Additional viewers will tune in through the streaming service DAZN.
At 29 years old, Shields boasts an undefeated record of 15-0, holding heavyweight, light heavyweight, and middleweight titles that travel with her in a rolling suitcase. She is fresh off her third career knockout victory against WBC heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in July, a match held at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, where she drew a substantial crowd of enthusiastic fans.
Her opponent, solar-powered Perkins, is a 42-year-old former St. John’s basketball player who has impressed with a clean slate—winning all five of her bouts, two of which were by knockout. Perkins is experiencing an uptick in attention as she prepares for this major fight. The card will feature three additional matchups involving female fighters.
“I have always told Claressa that I greatly appreciate everything she’s done for boxing,” said Perkins, who hails from Brooklyn, New York. “Her rise in 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.”
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