Claressa Shields has a new opponent for her upcoming June 3 fight- Maricela Cornejo, who is brought in as a substitute for Hanna Gabriels.
The “GWOAT” was set to face Gabriels, the four-division champion boxer, in a rematch on Saturday, 3rd June at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Their first encounter back in June 2018 saw Shields winning the vacant WBA and inaugural IBF female middleweight titles, courtesy of a 10-round unanimous decision victory.
However, the Costa Rican boxer was removed from the fight this Thursday after failing a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association test conducted earlier this month, and Corjeno, the former WBC international female super middleweight champion, has been roped in as a late replacement.
Speaking to ESPN, Shields stated that she told her team to get the best fighter for the fight.
“I told my team to get me the best,” the 28-year-old stated.
Corjeno was last seen in action back in September 2021 when she defeated Miranda Barber via a unanimous decision in Pico Rivera, California, The victory marked the 36-year-old’s comeback from a two fight losing streak.
