Claressa Shields vs. Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse Stats Comparison and Prediction: Record, Age, Height, Reach, Weight, and Knockout Ratio

Heavyweights hit hard, but also fall harder. That’s what, at least, Claressa Shields will try to prove when she moves up to another new challenge. Every time she did it, she passed with golden colors. After ransacking the middleweight division, the undisputed female middleweight champion wants to test herself against the giants of heavyweights. Will she get humbled for the first time in her professional career? Or will she make a joke of the weight boundaries yet again?

The fans will find out whether Shields has what it takes to reign supreme in a fourth division when she goes against Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse and fights it out for the WBC and WBO heavyweight gold. A constant theme that has run throughout Shields’ career is her picking up a division and then picking the whole of it apart. However, the heavyweight poses a new threat. Before the action goes down at the Little Ceasars Arena in Detroit on Saturday night, let’s have a look at how the two fighters stack up.

Claressa Shields vs. Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse: Tale of Tape

What separates Shields from the rest is her skills and power. She has swayed the fans with her class, evident since the 2012 Olympics gold. You don’t have to look beyond the record of 14-0 with 2 KOs. And if you only think of her as a skilled technician, you are only partially right. Despite her KO ratio of 14.29%, the 29-year-old packs power behind her stingy punches, breezing past every opponent that she faced till today. In addition, the Flint native stands tall at 5’8″ (173 cm) and has longer levers with a reach of 68.0″ (173 cm), the dimensions that allow her to impose her will and dictate the pace of the fight.

You look at Claressa Shields, and you see a fighter who is not bound by the weight limitations, the design of the ring, the rules of the fight, or the size of the dog in the fight. So, she is the biggest threat that Lepage-Joanisse will face inside the ring any time soon. While nothing separates the heavyweight champion and Shields on the age parameter, as they are identical at 29, Lepage-Joanisse has a thinner resume. The Canadian fighter boasts an impressive record of 7-1 with 2 KOs, and you can always spot her enjoying exchanging blows in the middle of the ring rather than clinching or evading punches. Her KO ratio of 28.57% also shows that she is a heavier-handed puncher than Shields.

What’s more? ‘Rampage’ holds the weight advantage, as she has been the usual heavyweight boxer who, when last stood on scales, weighed 173.8 lbs (78.8 kg). Shields, an undisputed middleweight champion, on the other hand, clocked a weight of 159.5 lbs (72.3 kg). However, Lepage-Joanisse cedes ground when it comes to size, as she stands tall at 5’6″ (168 cm). So, it’s a tussle of size and power on one side and reach and skills on the other. Will the WBC and WBO heavyweight champion stand her ground against ‘GWOAT’?

Prediction: X factor, and who might win it?

What exactly works for Claressa Shields? It’s her defense. She allows very few punches against her, making her a tough wall to reach and scale. You also need to brush aside her reputation for going the distance, because she connects more power punches. Then comes her overall skillset, which allowed her to bag 2 Olympic golds and 2 world championships during her amateur career. So, her opponents find themselves in a tight spot, not being able to land but ending up sustaining heavy punishment.

The ‘GWOAT’ is the perfect blend of skills, athleticism, and power. How does the champion defend her crown against her? Lepage-Joanisse turns on aggression whenever she steps inside the ring. She turns on fans’ heads whenever she fights on the inside. The Quebec native might turn out to be the challenge that Shields has been looking for. And you factor in her size advantage, more power, and familiarity with the weight division, and things start to look dicey for the challenger.

While Shields can utilize her taller stature and keep the champion at bay with her jabs, there are questions about her stamina. Can she adjust to the vagaries of 175 when the maximum she has put on is 167 for a fight? If the answer is yes, then she will set off the alarms for other champions at 175, too.

What do you make of this coming fight between Claressa Shields and Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse? Who do you believe will leave the arena with heavyweight straps on July 27? Let us know in the comments below.