Let’s hope the fans at Little Caesars Arena didn’t break the bank to watch this fight. The fight between Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse and Claressa Shields only lasted two rounds. The Quebecer lost by KO.
Lepage-Joanisse fell three times during the second assault. She was never in the running.
“Vany” therefore loses her WBC heavyweight title. She won it after a close fight against Abril Argentina Vidal in March. This defeat brings her record to 7-2 among professionals.
In enemy territory
Before the fight, Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse walked calmly towards the arena, wearing Bermuda shorts with the words Never give up (never give up). The reference to her recent personal challenges was obvious. The boxer was on hiatus for six years to overcome her demons. Car accident, work stoppage, massive weight gain: she almost stopped boxing. Nothing destined her for a fight of this magnitude.
Copiously booed, she seemed composed, serene. The song of the Cowboys fringants Straight ahead echoed through Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
“Get ready little boy
The expedition will be long.
And even if we never come back alive
We must walk straight ahead”
These words perfectly embodied the immense challenge that lay ahead VanyHer opponent, Claressa Shields, has never known defeat in 14 fights. As an amateur, she has lost only once in 78 fights.
The American was fighting at home. The crowd cheered her vigorously. Dressed in a gold outfit, she casually walked towards the ringaccompanied by rapper Dej Loaf. She may have been wearing rose-colored glasses, but she seemed to have a good idea of the reality that awaited her: an easy victory.
Total domination
“Finally comes the hostile mountain and its ascent with a thousand perils / Where victories are triumphant, but where falls are often brutal.”
As the Cowboys sang, the fall was just that, brutal. Lepage-Joanisse’s strategy was clear: seize the middle of the ring and multiply the body blows. In the first minute of the fight, Shields watched him, let him settle in.
When she realized that her speed was far superior to that of her opponent, she made short work of him.
“I waited until the first round because you know, Vanessa hits,” Claressa Shields dissected in a post-fight interview broadcast on DAZN. “I started to fight back, finish my punches. And when I hit her, I was like, I’m going to finish the job.”
In the second assault, Lepage-Joanisse attempted four consecutive forceful strikes. All missed the target. Shields returned all four of his blows, knocking him to the ground.
The Outaouaienne got up. A few seconds later, she was back on the ground. Shields barely had to touch her for her to fall a third time. In any case, the fight was already over.
Weight change
This is a title in a fourth different weight class for Claressa Shields. The American has been the unified middleweight champion since 2022. She has also been the world champion at super middleweight and super welterweight.
To face Lepage-Joanisse, she had to move up two weight classes.
“I knew I was physically strong in training camp, but I was even stronger tonight. Maybe I can stay at heavyweight if I compete at that level,” Shields hinted.
In 2021, Quebecer Marie-Ève Dicaire was completely outclassed by Shields in a world championship fight. She lost by unanimous decision, unable to win a single round against her opponent.
Like her, Lepage-Joanisse clearly did not have the tools, the talent to hope to defeat her. She can still leave with her head held high: it is not every day that you face one, if not the best athlete in the history of her sport.
“When the time comes to take stock, the important thing will be that you are happy / Because we do what we can in life, it all depends on what tools we have,” the Cowboys would probably sing to him.