Claressa Shields and upcoming opponent Vanessa Joanisse came face to face for the first time today at a press conference held in Flint, Michigan, to discuss hometown hero Shields’ rise of two weight classes to challenge Quebec, Canada’s Joanisse for her WBC Heavyweight World Championship on July 27 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and live on global sports platform DAZN. 

City of Flint Mayor, Sheldon Neeley, welcomed Joanisse to Flint warmly and then encouraged the large crowd to back Shields, one of their own. 

“As we celebrate this great holiday, Juneteenth, we want to also celebrate this great championship fight. Let’s make sure we represent our City of Flint and support Flint’s favorite daughter by showing up and showing out in Detroit! The spirit of Flint is strong and that’s why we call ourselves ‘Flint Strong.’

The pair will meet again tomorrow at a press conference at Little Caesars Arena, where several boxing luminaries and celebrities are expected to attend the gala in support.