Claressa Shields and upcoming opponent Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse came face-to-face for the first time at a press conference held on Wednesday in Flint, Michigan, to discuss hometown hero Shields’ rise in weight to challenge Quebec’s Joanisse at 175 pounds (the WBC is calling it a heavyweight championship, the WBO is sanctioning it in the light heavyweight division) on July 27th in a Salita Promotions show at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and live on global sports platform DAZN.  The City of Flint's mayor, Sheldon Neeley, welcomed Joanisse to Flint warmly and then encouraged the large crowd to back Shields, one of their own.  “As we celebrate this great holiday, Juneteenth, we want to also celebrate this great championship fight. Let’s make sure we represent our City of Flint and support Flint’s favorite daughter by showing up and showing out in Detroit! The spirit of Flint is strong and that’s why we call ourselves ‘Flint Strong.’

 

The pair will meet again on Thursday at a press conference at Little Caesars Arena, where several boxing luminaries and celebrities are expected to attend in support.