Claressa “GWOAT” Shields, the undisputed Middleweight World Champion and Michigan’s pride, will return to her home state to headline the historic first boxing event at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday, June 3. She will face four-division champion Hanna Gabriels in a highly anticipated rematch that will be streamed live on DAZN in the U.S. and Canada.
Shields and Gabriels will meet again at a press conference scheduled for Tuesday, April 18 in Detroit to hype up the thrilling event. More details about the press conference will be revealed soon.
Tickets for the live event will be available starting Tuesday, April 18 and can be bought through 313Presents.com, Ticketmaster.com and the XFINITY Box Office at Little Caesars Arena. The event is promoted by Salita Promotions and 313 Presents.
Shields is the only boxer in history to hold undisputed titles in two weight classes and she will make history again as she brings top-level boxing to the home of the Detroit Pistons and Detroit Red Wings. The Flint, Michigan-native first clashed with Gabriels in 2018 in Shields’ sixth pro bout, when Gabriels stunned Shields with a powerful right uppercut-left hook combo that sent her to the canvas in round one. It was the only time Shields has ever been dropped in her amateur or pro career and although she bounced back to win a unanimous decision, she will seek a conclusive victory over her rival on June 3.
“I’m thrilled to bring championship boxing back to Detroit as the ‘GWOAT’!” said Shields. “I wanted a true homecoming fight in the U.S. after my historic win over Savannah Marshall in the U.K. I can’t wait to headline the first fight ever at Little Caesars Arena. Hanna Gabriels knocked me down in round one in our first fight and I’ve been wanting the rematch ever since to prove myself. She’s a four-time world champ but she’s facing the GWOAT, who’s a thirteen-time world champ and three-time undisputed champ. This is a big, important fight for me and it will be another great fight for the fans.”
Four of Michigan’s top prospects will highlight undercard action as big-time boxing returns to Detroit on Saturday, June 3 headlined by the rematch between Undisputed Middleweight World Champion and Michigan’s own Claressa Shields and four-division world champion Hanna Gabriels live from Little Caesars Arena and streamed on DAZN in the U.S. and Canada.
The lineup will see Dearborn’s Da’Velle Smith take on fellow unbeaten Kahydlian Woods in a six-round middleweight showdown, Grand Rapids’ Joshua Pagan battling the undefeated Ronnell Burnett in a six-round super lightweight attraction, Grand Rapids’ Joseph Hicks Jr. in an eight-round middleweight bout, and Dearborn’s Gheith Karim in a cross-town matchup against Detroit’s Marlon Harrington scheduled for eight rounds in the super welterweight division.
Tickets for the live event are on sale now and can be purchased through 313Presents.com, Ticketmaster.com and the XFINITY Box Office at Little Caesars Arena. The event is promoted by Salita Promotions and 313 Presents.
“Saturday, June 3 will be a night to remember from the opening bell, all the way until the world championship main event,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “The card will feature local talent with world class potential fighting in their most significant fights live on DAZN from Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit. Detroit legends like Tommy Hearns and Hilmer Kenty will be looking on at ringside as these contenders will be fighting their most challenging opponents and hoping to prove that they are next in line to continue the elite pedigree of this legendary boxing city.”
The 22-year-old Smith (5-0, 4 KOs) made his pro debut in September 2021, winning the WBC’s inaugural Big Belt Championship by knocking out Ricky Evans in the first round. Smith would follow that triumph with a pair of knockouts in November 2021 and May 2022, before winning a unanimous decision over Devontae McDonald last August. The Kronk Gym-trained prospect most recently stopped Gyorgy Mizsei in February. He will be opposed by the 27-year-old Woods (4-0, 3 KOs). Originally from California and now fighting out of Indianapolis, Woods turned pro last year and scored three-straight knockouts before a split-decision triumph over then unbeaten Ezekiel Scruggs in February.
Pagan (5-0, 2 KOs) won the 2021 U.S. Amateur Welterweight National Championship with a unanimous decision over Keon Davis, completing a big step on his boxing journey that began as a teenager with his father and trainer Tony. The 23-year-old followed that up by turning pro in January 2022 and earning four victories that year. Most recently, Pagan won back-to-back decisions in Detroit to kick off 2023 as he bested Istvan Bela Orban in February and Wesley Rivers in April. He faces Kansas City, Missouri’s Burnett (9-0, 5 KOs), a 32-year-old who has fought professionally since 2017. Burnett earned three wins in 2022, including knockouts of Lantz Nave and dan Abram.
The 29-year-old Hicks (6-0, 5 KOs) started boxing at 19 and became a standout amateur before entering the pro rank. He was set to captain the U.S. Olympic Team at the 2020 summer games, before the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the proceedings. By the time the games were back on, the IOC’s formula for picking fighters in his weight class left him on the outside looking in. Undeterred, Hicks has shined as a pro, including already scoring two wins this year with triumphs over Bilal Quintyne in February and Noah Kidd in April.
Originally from Iraq and now residing in Dearborn, Michigan, Karim (9-0, 3 KOs) is trained by Jonathan Banks out of the world-renowned Kronk Gym in Detroit. The 25-year-old returned from a nearly three-year layoff last June and has won three-straight fights since then, most recently besting Ramses Agaton in March. He takes on Detroit’s own Harrington (8-1, 7 KOs), who trains in the same city as Karim, at Detroit’s World’s Best Boxing Gym. Harrington will be returning to the ring following his first career defeat, which came via decision against Marquis Taylor last October.