Best Reaction from Claressa Shields' Win vs. Maricela Cornejo | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Emily Baldwin Claressa Shields added yet another dominant win to her resume with a unanimous decision win over Maricela Cornejo in a 10-round affair at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
The WBA, WBC, IBF, WBF, WBO and The Ring middleweight champion took a comprehensive decision without yielding a single round on one scorecard.
Dan Rafael @DanRafael1We go to the cards in <a href="">#ShieldsCornejo</a>: 100-89, 100-90, 100-90, all for the winner and still the undisputed women's middleweight champion and No. 1 P4P: <a href="">@Claressashields</a>! <a href="">#boxing</a>
WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford shared his congratulations for the GWOAT.
Terence Crawford @terencecrawfordClean sweep. Congratulations <a href="">@Claressashields</a>
From the outset, Cornejo looked outmatched. She deserved credit for stepping in on nine days notice but some bad habits showed early that were a harbinger of things to come:
Jamel Herring @JamelHerringThis woman is fighting with her chin in the air, no upper body movement, and her legs are stiff… this might not end well. <a href="">#ShieldsCornejo</a>
DAZN gave us a little taste of Shields' work against Cornejo early:
DAZN Boxing @DAZNBoxingThe champ, <a href="">@Claressashields</a>, looking crisp early 🥊<br><br>Watch <a href="">#ShieldsCornejo</a> LIVE on <a href=""> 😤 <a href="">
Shields had only two knockouts to her name entering this fight, but she certainly had a finish on her mind in this one. She relentlessly chased Cornejo and overwhelmed her with power shots throughout the fight.
Some analysts lamented the lack of true contenders for Shields while watching the one-way traffic from the Michigan native.
Mark Ortega @MarkEOrtegaIt's a shame the divisions above 140 lbs for the women are shallow. Maricela Cornejo was the number 1 contender in multiple sanctioning organization rankings. Levels between them. <br><br>Claressa has the most skills and the fewest people to flex them against.
Others were impressed with Cornejo's ability to step in on short notice and hang in despite taking some punishment.
Rosie Perez @rosieperezbklynTaking those hard shots, and with only 9 days notices against a <a href="">#GWOAT</a>, Gotta give Cornejo credit for still being in this. 8th<a href="">#ShieldsCornejo</a>
DAZN showed off Shields' last attempt to get the knockout that came up short:
DAZN Boxing @DAZNBoxing.<a href="">@Claressashields</a> going ALL OUT and trying to close the show 😤<br><br>Watch <a href="">#ShieldsCornejo</a> LIVE on <a href=""> 😤 <a href="">
Shields once again put on a dominant performance that proves she's the best in the business. With two Olympic gold medals on her resume and the undisputed, unified women's middleweight titles around her waist, she's done just about everything she can to earn her reputation.
At this point, a rival who can push her is one of the only things that could enhance her legacy. Hanna Gabriels had a chance to be that fighter. She was the first one to knock down Shields in a pro fight and was supposed to be her opponent on Saturday night.
Unfortunately, she was removed from the bout due to a positive test for a banned substance.
Per a copy of the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency report obtained by Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, Gabriels' sample returned positive for clostebol, a testosterone derivative.
Watching Shields fight someone who has actually put her in danger would have been an intriguing angle. Instead, we got yet another one-sided performance from the champion.
Perhaps a rematch with Savannah Marshall, who at least had competitive scorecards with Shields, could spark a rivalry. She's scheduled to fight Franchón Crews-Dezurn on July 1, so a win for Marshall could set up a major fight.
Either way, Shields proved that she is still the preeminent force in women's boxing.