Claressa Shields has earned a title shot.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist will challenge Nikki Adler for the WBC super middleweight title and the vacant IBF belt in the main event of “ShoBox: The New Generation” on August 4 at the MGM Grand in Detroit.
“It is a dream come true for me to be fighting for a major world title in just my fourth professional fight,” said Shields (3-0, 1 knockout). “I thank the champ Nikki Adler and her team for accepting the challenge and for coming to the U.S. for this championship. This fight is not only a milestone for me; it also is the biggest fight of the year in women’s boxing.
“I want to thank Showtime for their commitment to me and for their support of women’s boxing. I promise to be in the best shape of my life and to give all my fans a performance to remember.”
Shields, 22, made her pro debut in November 2016, and scored two more victories this year, but now the Flint, Michigan, native is stepping way up in class.
Adler (16-0, 9 KOs), a native of Germany, will be fighting in America for the first time. She topped Szilvia Szabados, whom Shields stopped in four rounds earlier this year, via unanimous decision to win the belt in July 2015.
“It’s a huge opportunity to fight in the U.S. on Showtime against Claressa Shields,” Adler, 30, said. “I am the multiple-time world champion and Claressa is a two-time Olympic gold medalist – why not fight in the biggest matchup possible? This is a great challenge and we both will show our true potential. I know I’ll give everything I have to be successful, as I have always done.
“I’ve fought throughout the world but never in the U.S. It’s really a dream to fight in the biggest women’s boxing event in 2017.”
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