ATLANTA (Aug. 16, 2026) – Boxing “GWOAT” Claressa Shields put on a show for more than 16,000 fans, celebrities and boxing royalty at State Farm Arena Saturday on DAZN, knocking out unified WBC and WBA Champion Kaye Scott in the sixth round to once again stamp her claim as the world’s best middleweight.

The all-action scrap had the crowd at State Farm Arena on their feet from the opening bell for the first women’s main event in the history of the home of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.

Shields brought the stars out for her Atlanta debut, with Floyd Mayweather, Terrence Crawford and Shakur Stevenson sitting alongside entertainment A-listers Usher, Kevin Gates and Brandy.

Already the most accomplished woman in boxing history, Shields added yet another achievement that may never be replicated. The undisputed heavyweight champion became just the second heavyweight titlist in 120-plus years to successfully win a belt in a lower division, joining Boxing Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. in accomplishing the feat.

Saturday’s event was presented by Salita Promotions in partnership with Wynn Records, Claressa Shields Promotions and Route 30 Promotions, presenting sponsor Zeus Network and sponsor OnlyFans.

After a huge barrage of shots in the opening minute of the second round, a massive welt formed over Scott’s left eye. Shields continued to press the action, controlling the pace and far out-punching and out-landing Scott in rounds three and four. The defending champion had Shields against the ropes for the first time for most of the fifth, but Shields kept her guard up and was able to punch out, take back control, and bring the fight back to the center of the ring.

Shields (19-0, 4 KOs) stepped on the gas in the sixth, landing a huge left hook to Scott’s jaw that staggered the unified champion. Shields continued to throw bombs and landed a flush overhand right that sent Scott tumbling back into the ropes. Clearly dazed, Scott beat the count, but was on shaky legs and her corner threw in the towel moments later, at 1:38 of the sixth.

“What a night!! I still can’t believe all of the fans who showed up to make this a sold-out show here at State Farm Arena,” Shields said. “I thank every single one of you.”

“I know I made it look easy, but Kaye Scott had power behind those punches. She’s a hell of an opponent. I felt sharp going into this fight, I had a great camp and it showed tonight. I listened to my corner, stayed patient and—we all saw what happened!”

“I can’t believe I had a knockout in front of Usher!”

After the fight, Scott (5-2-1), who competed as a top amateur for nearly two decades before turning professional, admitted she never faced anyone quite like Shields.

“The right hand landed pretty hard,” Scott said. “She warned me about it. I knew it was coming, but I hadn’t been hit like that before with a right hand that hard before. My legs were gone and I couldn’t recover. I tried everything, but she was just too good. I think it was her speed and power.”

“My jaw is fine,” Scott said after being asked if she hurt her jaw in the initial exchange in the sixth. “We had a clash of heads, I think in the second, that caused this big welt.”

Said promoter Dmitriy Salita: “It was yet another amazing and historic night for Claressa Shields, becoming the first woman to headline at State Farm Arena and drawing more than 16,000 for her debut in Atlanta. Claressa's resume is unmatched, and she is once again the top middleweight in the world along with being boxing's GWOAT. Tonight was yet another reminder that we are witnessing something truly special. I hope the fans saved their tickets tonight.”

It was yet another amazing and historic night for Claressa Shields, becoming the first woman to headline at State Farm Arena and drawing more than 16,000 for her debut fight in Atlanta. Claressa's resume is unmatched and she is once again the top middleweight in the world along with being boxing's GWOAT. Tonight was yet another reminder that we are witnessing something truly special. I hope the fans at State Farm tonight saved their tickets.

Undefeated middleweight contender Troy Isley won a close but convincing 10-round unanimous decision over longtime amateur rival Joe Hicks, scored 97-92, 96-93 twice.

Isley (17-0, 6 KOs) pressed the action, forcing Hicks to fight off his back foot for most of the fight. Isley far outpaced his amateur rival in power shows, throwing 178 compared to just 113 for Hicks according to CompuBox. Hicks started strong and landed the biggest punch of the bout in the second round, but he failed to capitalize and never showed much urgency in the ring. Isley was deducted a point for a kidney shot in the fifth yet still won comfortably on all three scorecards.

Undefeated super bantamweight Ashleyann Lozada (5-0, 1 KOs) won a near-shutout 10-round unanimous decision over Paulette Cuesta (19-6-1, 4 KOs), scored 100-90, 100-90, 99-91, in a bout for the WBA Gold Women’s Super Bantamweight belt. Lozada is now positioned to challenge No. 3 ranked Phannerai Netisri in a WBA world title eliminator.

In the opening bout on DAZN, undefeated challenger Bernice Ferreira (11-0, 4 KOs) dethroned WBC Super Featherweight Champion Caroline Veyre after the champion was disqualified for holding in the eighth round (1:04). Veyre (11-2) was deducted points for holding in the fourth and the seventh. At time of the stoppage, Veyre was up on two of the three judges’ scorecards, 66-65, 67-64, 67-64.

In Zeus Network undercard professional boxing fights, undefeated light heavyweight contender Atif Oberlton (17-0, 14 KOs) won a shutout unanimous decision over Roamer Alexis Angulo (29-5, 24 KOs), scored 100-90 three times.

Super Middleweight prospect Da’Vella Smith (15-0, 10 KOs) kept his undefeated record intact with a 6th round TKO (1:44) of local favorite Hakim Lopez. Smith was up on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the fight, 50-45, 49-46, 49-46.

Undefeated featherweight contender Shannel Butler extended her unblemished record to 8-0 (3 KOs) with a convincing unanimous decision victory over Marianela Ramirez (14-12-2), scored 79-73, 79-72, 78-74.

In a matchup of previously unbeaten super welterweights, Jacquan McElroy (6-0, 2 KOs) won a close unanimous decision over Alexander Thiel (5-1, 2 KOs), scored 58-56 on all three of the judges’ scorecards.

In the opening bout on Zeus Network, Daniel Mercado, brother of undefeated 140-pound star Tito Mercado, knocked Rahmel McKinley (1-5) down twice in the first round, winning via KO at 1:48 of the first.

In celebrity influencer bouts on Zeus Network, Noah won via second round knockout (1:15) over Xavier Pabon in a matchup of Zeus executive security guards.

In the Zeus influencer co-main event, Ray J won by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 30-26) over rival Orlando Brown in a matchup of TV personalities.

In the Zeus Network main event, Big Lex defeated Tesehki in an amateur boxing showdown between the two TV personalities.

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ABOUT SALITA PROMOTIONS:

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing's best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including SHOWTIME, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action.

ABOUT DAZN:

DAZN, the home of European football, women’s football, boxing and MMA, and the NFL (excl. USA), is creating the world’s biggest sports entertainment platform. A leading sports streaming service in Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Portugal, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, the US and UK, its wide range of content covers top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions. DAZN’s football rights include Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LALIGA, Ligue 1, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, making DAZN the largest broadcaster of football in Europe. DAZN is global home of women’s football, broadcasting the UEFA Women’s Champions League alongside top-tier domestic league and cup competitions.

DAZN’s portfolio features the biggest sports and leagues from around the world - Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP, and the best in boxing and MMA. As the global home of NFL Game Pass, it is the only place for fans outside of the USA to watch every NFL match live.

DAZN is building the ultimate sports entertainment service, where fans from across the globe can watch, read, bet, play, share, socialise, buy tickets and merchandise, all in one place, with one account, one wallet and on one app.

For more information on DAZN, our products, people, and performance, visit dazngroup.com.

ABOUT WYNN RECORDS:

Wynn Records is a full-service talent and music agency specializing in artist development, management, brand partnerships, distribution, marketing, and touring. With strong expertise in music administration, digital strategy, licensing, and industry trends, Wynn provides tailored career guidance to help clients grow and succeed. Rooted in innovation and long-term vision, the company empowers artists, creatives, and athletes to maximize their visibility, revenue, and impact.

ABOUT ROUTE 30 PROMOTIONS

Route 30 Promotions is a premier Atlanta-based sports and entertainment company specializing in professional and amateur boxing events. Known for partnering with major industry powerhouses, Route 30 Promotions consistently brings championship-caliber events and marquee title fights to the Southeast.

ABOUT ZEUS NETWORK

Founded by Lemuel Plummer (also serves as CEO), The Zeus Network, is the first subscription-on-demand streaming service created by millennials for millennials. Launched in July 2018, the network features exclusive, original scripted, unscripted comedy and drama series and other premium content. Zeus is available to subscribers for $5.99 monthly on mobile phones and desktop computers at TheZeusNetwork.com. The Zeus mobile and connected TV apps are available on the Apple App store, Google Play Store, and Amazon App Store, providing access to anywhere, anytime, any device. Follow Zeus on Instagram and Facebook.

ABOUT STATE FARM ARENA:

Home to the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, the award-winning State Farm Arena is a next-generation sports and live entertainment venue focused on experience, sustainability, and service. Inspired by the city, State Farm Arena showcases the core values of the organization: inclusiveness, authenticity, and innovation. From the first ever in-arena barbershop with the Killer Mike SWAG Shop to the Hawk Bar on the court behind the basket to the concourse to the Topgolf Swing Suites, State Farm Arena is True to Atlanta. Community and sustainability are at the core as the arena hosts the largest annual food distribution event with the Million Meal Pack and the arena was also the first venue in the world to earn TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Platinum certification for zero waste. State Farm Arena was recently named Best Venue by Front Office Sports, a leading multi-platform media and news organization, and consistently ranks among the top 10 concert and event venues in the world from industry-leading publications Pollstar and Billboard. Accessible to every fan with a MARTA station adjacent, the downtown Atlanta arena hosts approximately 175 events and close to 2 million guests annually and stakes its claim as the city’s best sports and live entertainment venue. For more information on State Farm Arena, visit StateFarmArena.com or follow on X @StateFarmArena and Instagram @StateFarmArena

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Crystal Frost, MADWMN PR - Claressa Shields PR

crystal@madwmn.co

Matt Donovan, Salita Promotions

Matt.T.Donovan@gmail.com

Zeus PR:

Info@cr8agency.com

Credential Inquiries

credentials@salita.pro

State Farm Arena:

State Farm Arena PR | StateFarm.ArenaPR@hawks.com

Max Strauss | max.strauss@hawks.com

Anthony White | Anthony.White@hawks.com