Maricela Cornejo, in a candid interview with Seconds Out and Salita promotions, shared her anticipation and preparation for the fight scheduled against Clarissa Shields. Maricela’s resolute confidence and her readiness to seize this lifetime opportunity were apparent throughout the conversation.
“When I got the phone call [about the fight], I was asleep. I returned the call and we started negotiating,” Cornejo revealed. “I said, ‘Well, it sounds like they have a problem, so make it make sense and then we can move forward with that.'”
Previously, she had been preparing for a different fight scheduled on June 6th in Costa Rica. Now that she’s accepted the challenge to fight Clarissa Shields, Maricela is working on adapting her training to the new opponent.
“The preparations that I had to do was just… I was ready to fight,” she said, her voice brimming with conviction. “The opponent changed, yes, but the goal is still the same: go in there and win.”
One critical adjustment in her training was to change her focus from a southpaw to Clarissa Shields. She hinted at an enigmatic game plan that her trainers have set up, one she’s ready to execute come fight night. However, she kept the details under wraps, saying with a teasing smile, “Tune in to DAZN Saturday night.”
Despite the odds being heavily stacked against her, Cornejo remains unfazed. To her, being the underdog is an exciting prospect, an opportunity to stun the world. “For those who want to make some money, go out and put your money on me. Come Saturday night and get send me a percentage after as well. I won’t be mad at that,” she cheekily suggested.
As for her prediction of the fight outcome, Maricela sees a KO. “I see a knockout, truly. Will I force it? Absolutely not. That’s the dumbest thing any boxer can do. If I see an opportunity, which there are many with her, I’m going to capitalize on it,” she asserted.
Maricela concluded the interview with a promise to meet again after the fight, leaving us in eager anticipation of what she might share after stepping out of the ring.
June 3: Detroit, Michigan (LIVE on DAZN)
Title fight: Claressa Shields vs. Maricela Cornejo, 10 rounds, for Shield’s undisputed women’s middleweight championship
Ardreal Holmes Jr. vs. Wendy Toussaint, 10 rounds, junior middleweights
Joseph Hicks vs. Antonio Todd, 8 rounds, middleweights
Gunnar Kolbeinn Kristinsson vs. TBA, 8 rounds, heavyweights
Marlon Harrington vs. Gheith Karim, 8 rounds, junior middleweights
Sarah Liegmann vs. Carisse Brown, 6 rounds, women’s featherweights
Da’Velle Smith vs. Kahydlian Woods, 6 rounds, middleweights
Joshua Pagan vs. Burnett, 6 rounds, junior welterweights
Vernon Webber vs. Fernando Rodrigo Simoes de Almeida, 6 rounds, cruiserweights