(May 24th) Salita Promotions announced two high-level supporting bouts for Claressa Shields’ Undisputed Heavyweight World Championship event taking place on Saturday, July 26 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, airing live on DAZN, the global home of boxing. Undefeated Samantha Worthington and France’s Caroline Veyre, both rising world title contenders have been added to the card in separate and significant bouts.

The GWOAT, Claressa Shields (16-0, 3 KOs), will return home when she puts her undefeated record and Undisputed Heavyweight World Championship on the line in the main event against the reigning IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion from New Zealand, Lani Daniels (11-2-2, 1 KO).

Worthington (11-0, 7 KOs), who is co-promoted by Shields’ T-Rex Promotions and Salita Promotions, looks to take one step closer to achieving her world title dream when she collides with France’s Victoire Piteau (14-2, 2 KOs) for the WBA Jr. Welterweight Women’s Interim World Title. An undeniable rising star under the Salita Promotions banner, Kentucky’s Worthington has passed every test in the ring impressively. Stringing together three statement victories in the past year, Worthington has earned the interim title opportunity in a division that features superstars Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. Opposite Worthington, Piteau competes for a spot atop the star-studded 140-pound division. On the strength of five straight victories, Piteau will fight for the first time in the U.S. in a pivotal matchup against Worthington on July 26. The winner of this bout will be in line to face the winner of Taylor vs. Serrano III taking place earlier that month.

“I believe with all my heart that Jesus created me for this very moment,” said Samantha Worthington. “Stepping into the ring to fight for the WBA Interim World Championship isn’t just a career milestone—it’s part of my purpose and an opportunity I am extremely grateful for. I feel so confident that I’m more than ready to make a statement at this level, and that statement will be made in the ring July 26th at Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit, MI. The super lightweight division isn’t ready for ‘The Heat’ and I’m about to show exactly why I belong at the top.”

“My ambition is to conquer the most prestigious fights and win the most iconic titles in the world of boxing,” said Piteau. “To get there, I will give everything—my strength, my courage, and my unwavering determination. I can’t wait to fight in the United States against Samantha Worthington. From now on, I continue writing my story in the United States, ready to win with heart, fierce determination, and the utmost respect for this sport.”

“Samantha Worthington is one of the most exciting junior welterweights in the world today,” said Dmitriy Salita, President of Salita Promotions. “With a decorated amateur pedigree, an undefeated professional record, and the backing of co-promoter Claressa Shields, she represents the next wave of American boxing talent. From rising through the ranks of USA Boxing to now competing for her first title on one of the year’s biggest stages—Samantha is on a fast track to greatness. It’s only a matter of time before she follows in Claressa’s footsteps and becomes an undisputed world champion.”

The reigning WBC International Women’s Featherweight champion, Caroline Veyre (9-1), who fights out of Montreal, steps into the ring for the second time this year when she faces France’s Licia Boudersa (23-3-2, 4 KOs) in a WBC Women’s Featherweight World Title Eliminator. Signing with Salita Promotions in 2024, Veyre has proven to be one of the most dangerous contenders in the featherweight division. On the heels of two dominant unanimous decision victories in back-to-back fights, Veyre prepares to take the next step towards WBC gold against the battle-tested Boudersa. Boudersa, 32, makes her promotional debut following a closely contested loss to Beatriz Ferreira for the IBF Lightweight World Title last year. Boasting championship experience, Boudersa stands as a stiff test for the surging Veyre.

“Caroline Veyre is, without question, one of the most technically brilliant boxers in women’s boxing today,” said Dmitriy Salita. “Her smooth, textbook style and exceptional ring IQ make watching her a true showcase of the sport at its highest level. I have no doubt she’s on the path to becoming a world champion and a fixture on the pound-for-pound list.”

Venue: Little Ceasars Arena, Detroit, Michigan

Promoter: Dmitriy Salita - Salita Promotions

Matchmaker: Steve Clemente

Media: DAZN

Tickets for the event at Little Caesars Arena are on sale now and can be purchased online at 313Presents.com and Ticketmaster.com or in person at The XFINITY Box Office at Little Caesars Arena.

The 30 year old, Shields, 16-0, 3Ko’s, a two-time Olympic champion added the IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight titles to her WBC belt with her 16th professional win a unanimous points win over Houston, Texas, previously unbeaten, Danielle Perkins in February.

Shields was suspended by the Michigan commission in February after she tested positive for marijuana following her defeat of Perkins with the suspension subsequently overturned after evidence showed procedural errors occurred during the collection of Shields' samples.

Recently signed to Salita Promotions, Pipiwai, New Zealand's 36 years old, Daniels, 11-2-2, 1Ko, making history of her own right becoming the first New Zealand-born fighter to win two world titles, and the first to win world titles in two different divisions when she defeated Desley Robinson in 2023,

unbeaten in her past seven bouts, enters off a September 2024, ten round unanimous decision victory over previously unbeaten Nigerian, Bolatito Oluwole.

Claressa Shields: “I am super excited to be fighting against another world champion in Lani Daniels. She’s very confident, she’s from New Zealand, she wants the smoke, and she and her team are confident that they can come over here and get the upset. “

“I’m always happy to fight at Little Ceasars Arena. My team and I are working to make sure we sell this thing out - all 19,000 seats. Last time I was able to do 12,000 with just me doing my hard work, and now I have a team behind me that wants to do it. I look forward to fighting at LCA and putting on a great show. To me, this is my biggest fight.”

“I don’t know how good Lani Daniels is. I’ve seen film, and she’s pretty durable. She’s very, very tough. But after my last fight with Danielle Perkins, I know that I’m the toughest of them all. If I was able to fight Danielle Perkins and drop her in the 10th round … she may not have looked like she was a lot because I’m so great, but Danielle Perkins is highly avoided for a reason. And Lani Daniels didn’t want to fight her for a reason. I stepped up and fought against a bigger and stronger woman who had just as much experience as me, and we put on a great show.”

“I’m super excited to fight in Detroit. A woman boxer being able to fight in front of 12,000 people is great, but 19,000 is even better. I have continued to grow in my stardom and bring more things to women’s boxing than I ever thought that I could. To me, this is my biggest fight.”

I’m working on everything. I’m working on making sure I turn my punches over. I’m gonna hit Lani very, very hard to her face, to her chest and to her body. I’m working on breaking somebody mentally more than I am working on breaking them physically. Inside the ring, it’s still a mental fight, and I can’t wait to see how tough she is. She seems like she’s very tough, hearing her backstory and everything that she’s been through. But I know that I can do it.”

Little Caesars Arena is a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose venue located in Midtown Detroit, Michigan. Opened on September 5, 2017, the arena cost $862.9 million to build and serves as the home for both the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, replacing the historic Joe Louis Arena and The Palace of Auburn Hills as the city’s premier sports venue. With a seating capacity of 19,515 for ice hockey and up to 20,332 for basketball, as well as flexible configurations for concerts and special events, it stands among the largest arenas of its kind globally. The arena features innovative amenities, including a glass-roofed concourse that connects to surrounding offices and retail spaces, a 37,000-square-foot practice rink, and unique gondola seating suspended above the stands for an intimate viewing experience. Designed as the centerpiece of The District Detroit—a $2.1 billion sports and entertainment district—the arena aims to anchor a revitalized urban neighborhood, although the full vision for the district is still in progress. Little Caesars Arena has hosted a wide range of major events, from NHL and NBA games to UFC, WWE, figure skating championships, and major concerts, solidifying its reputation as Detroit’s premier destination for sports and entertainment.

About Salita Promotions

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 when junior welterweight title challenger Dmitriy Salita made the unlikely decision to promote his own fights. After hanging up the gloves for the last time in April of 2013, Dmitriy threw himself full time into his new calling as a promoter.  In an industry filled with promotional giants focused on championship events, Salita saw the need for an entity that featured boxing’s best young prospects as they worked their way up to the championship level.

An early signing, Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, was a six-round fighter from Brooklyn when Salita Promotions started its work with him; Salita built him into a championship level boxer who earned the opportunity to fight for the heavyweight title at Madison Square Garden.  Salita Promotions later signed a little known prospect from Sweden, Otto “All In” Wallin, and landed him a fight against lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury; Wallin proved his mettle when he gave Fury the hardest night of his life, making Wallin an overnight sensation in the boxing world.

Salita Promotions is also recognized for championing women’s boxing.  Under the banner of Salita Promotions, two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields developed into the number one pound-for-pound female fighter in the world, becoming the first woman to headline a boxing card on a premium network (Showtime) and earning world titles in three separate weight divisions.  As a middleweight, Shields won the titles of all four major sanctioning organizations, the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO, and is primed to repeat that feat in the junior middleweight division.

Salita, a former world-class boxer with a passion for his sport and an eye for rising talent­­­­, has built his company from an upstart promotional outfit to a genuine and respected force in the industry. In addition to working with Showtime, HBO and DAZN, Salita Promotions has recently partnered with the UFC to host live events on the UFC Fight Pass streaming service.  Now one decade into his promotional journey, Salita is working every day to grow his business on the domestic and international levels and to bring exciting fights and standout boxers to the passionate boxing public.