Claressa Shields is officially stepping back to the negotiating table. The undisputed heavyweight champion is ready to finalize a stadium clash against unified welterweight champion Lauren Price.
Key Details
- Promoters are actively targeting a stadium venue for the first quarter of 2027.
- Shields will drop 15 pounds to fight at the 160-pound middleweight limit.
- The negotiating focus shifted to Price after a proposed fight with Mikaela Mayer collapsed.
Promoter Dmitriy Salita confirmed his team is highly optimistic. Right now, Shields has immediate business to handle. She steps into the ring against Kaye Scott on August 15, as noted in a report by Sky Sports. But her representatives are keeping the door wide open to sign the Price contract immediately after the final bell.
The groundwork for this bout started in April. Shields flew to Cardiff to watch Price grind out a gritty title defense against Stephanie Pineiro. Following the decision, the two champions stood in the ring and verbally agreed to a trans-Atlantic two-fight deal covering both the United States and Wales.
Logistics remain the primary hurdle. Shields has recently been fighting at the 175-pound heavyweight limit. She will need to drop significant weight to meet the proposed 160-pound mark. Promoters Salita and Ben Shalom have been working the phones since June to lock in a targeted Q1 2027 date.
The pivot to Price happened quickly. Shields originally wanted a showdown with her former U.S. Olympic teammate Mikaela Mayer, but those talks fell apart earlier this year.
This matchup brings rare pedigree to the ring. Both women dominated the amateur middleweight division. Shields won Olympic gold in London and Rio. Price took the exact same medal in Tokyo. Now, they just need to sign the paperwork.