Claressa Shields challenging Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse for the WBC heavyweight world championship on Saturday night, live on DAZN, came about through the "GWOAT" not being able to get a dance partner, forcing her to look all the way up .
But as fight night draws closer for Shields, it's setting in on how becoming a heavyweight world champion and clinching a title in a fourth division would make her feel.
"To hear ‘and the new heavyweight champion of the world is the GWOAT Claressa Shields’ would be very unique," Shields recently told DAZN as part of an exclusive interview. "I don’t know what my emotions would be. I put in so much hard work for this camp. I have blocked out so much bull crap and negativity, really locking in for this camp.
"I know I’ll be very happy and feel like a conqueror," she continued.
"I’ll be able to say I’m the heavyweight champion like Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr.," she added with a smile. "That would be great for me to feel that because I don’t know what that feels like. I’ll have to wait and see July 27. I would be happy to put my name with the likes of Roy Jones, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, even Deontay Wilder.
"Those are the heavyweight champions who sparked the most in me. Can’t leave out Anthony Joshua. To say I’m the heavyweight champion would be unique and very interesting."
Live on DAZN: Claressa Shields vs. Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse. Click here for details .