World middleweight champion and now promoter, Claressa Shields, announced that T-Rex Promotions has signed junior welterweight Samantha Worthington to a co-promotional contract with Salita Promotions. Shields and Dmitriy Salita have Worthington slated to make her first appearance under the T-Rex banner on Saturday, July 27th at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, when Shields headlines against Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse, in a light heavyweight championship contest streaming live on DAZN.
Before turning professional in 2019, Worthington fought on Team USA alongside Shields where she was exposed to the highest levels of competition through representing her country on an international stage. From Folsom, Calif., via Lexington, Ky., Worthington finished her amateur career with 36 wins and 14 losses, including five national championships, a bronze at the Youth World Championships, and a fifth-place finish at the Olympic Trials for the 2016 Olympics. Thus far as a pro, Worthington has gone undefeated at 8-0 with 6 KOs and was last seen scoring a near-shutout unanimous decision over Yazmin Rivas in front of her home-state fans in Kentucky last January.
Worthington currently trains under the guidance of Mike Guy in El Dorado Hills, as well as with head coach Monyette Flowers in Tampa, FL.
“Fighting on the same card as the GWOAT, Claressa Shields feels like a dream come true,” admitted Worthington. “Going from fighting alongside one another on Team USA in the amateurs to being on the same card as pros is a special, full-circle moment in my career and one that I know God created me for. Being the first fighter signed to T-Rex Boxing Promotions is an honor I don’t take lightly. This opportunity is more than a fight; it's a statement of intent. My purpose in the super lightweight division is clear: total domination. I’m on a mission to claim what's rightfully mine and anyone who stands in my way will understand just why they call me ‘The Heat.’”
“Samantha and I go way back to the amateur days!” said Shields. “We fought at the Olympic trials together in 2016! She’s been in the ring with former champions. To sign her as my first athlete to T-Rex Promotions is an honor! I believe that she has done a great job this far! But under my tutelage, I believe she can compete and win against the best we have out there today!”
“The [140-pound] division of women’s boxing is one of the most competitive,” said Salita, “and Samantha will be a great addition to make the division even more diverse and exciting. She will bring a strong US presence and be a new face on the global stage of women’s boxing. With Claressa in her corner, the sky is the limit. I am excited to be part of the team and look forward to an explosive start on July 27.
