Photo: Adam J. Dewey – WBC champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse (7-1, 2 KOs) will visit Detroit on July 28th to welcome Claressa Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) in the heavyweight division.
Fifty-four days separate the official announcement of the Shields-Joanisse fight from its anticipated conclusion. Thus, in just about 54 days, Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse will attempt to concoct the most astonishing surprise of recent years. The days must be counted because this time, every day will count.
“One thing that many people don’t know is that for my world championship fight, I did my training camp while working in a daycare until almost a week before the fight,” confides the world champion from Saint-André-Avellin.
This wasn’t optimal, but there’s more.
Two weeks before the fight, she contracted a strep infection that laid her out for a few days and almost did the same with her fight. “Stéphane talked about it. But I told him, ‘There’s no way you’re canceling my world championship fight!'” she recalls.
It was then more complicated than expected, but on March 7th, she defeated Abril Vidal despite everything and brought the green belt back to Mont-Laurier. In itself, we would never have needed to tell all this. But as she prepares to face the best female boxer of all time, it is important to highlight that Vany, too, will raise her game.
Putting Everything in Place
Now, with the ‘Greatest Woman of All Time’ (GWOAT) soon in front of her, what more can she do?
First, the 54 days mentioned earlier will be dedicated solely to boxing.
She will certainly “miss her little ones” at the Les vers à choux Childcare Center, but if they will have more time to add two belts to their drawings, it will allow ‘Vany’ to achieve the unimaginable.
We know how much she loves her job. Yet, scientifically speaking, being around fewer “little ones” also means fewer chances of getting sick right before the fight of her life.
A Significant Factor
Will the “best version” of ‘Vany’ then be able to compete with any version of the best in the world? Technically no. But what makes this fight interesting is that it isn’t entirely technical.
Weight will literally tip the scales.
The fight will be at 175 lbs
Shields, as good as she is, has never faced anyone north of 168 lbs.
In her glorious independent boxing career, Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse has faced nothing but boxers ranging between 180 and 240 lbs.
A Different Aura
Some were not impressed by the size difference between the two during their first face-to-face last June in Flint, Michigan. This says a lot about the advantage Shields is used to having at 154 and 160 lbs.
Without this physical advantage, the psychological advantage disappears.
“I always say that face offs are my favorite moments. This time, I think she’s used to intimidating her opponents with that, but she was surprised this time,” says the Quebecer, whose opponent’s promoter, Dmitry Salita, himself admitted to being surprised by her Olympian calm.
“Sure, she represents a bigger challenge, but again, I’ve spent my life facing challenges. Those who know my story know that those challenges were bigger than boxing,” she explains. “Boxing is what I love most in the world. And I am the world champion, so I don’t see how a boxer could intimidate me.”
A (Weird) Enemy Territory
For entirely different reasons, the promotional tour also held a surprise for the Eye of the Tiger team.
“Honestly, I was really surprised to see so many people – in her own backyard – telling me they hoped I would beat her,” she recalls, still astonished, remembering her career beginnings in New Brunswick, where everyone seemed to want to “tear her head off.”
We can still expect a pro-Shields crowd at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. But, “far from the eyes, close to the heart,” Vany will also have an entire province supporting her. In fact, we can even talk about a city without being wrong. At 943 kilometers – if you take the toll roads – northeast from the ring she will step into, all of Mont-Laurier will be cheering for her at the Bistro Resto-Pub.
There, you will find no one wishing for a Shields victory. And if you think that believing in it won’t change anything, remember this.
“A victory is better when no one expects it.” – James ‘Buster’ Douglas.
