Lepage-Joanisse found boxing as a teenager in 2009 and quickly realized she had a talent for the sweet science. By 2013, Lepage-Joanisse was invited to join Quebec’s provincial amateur boxing team and later, the Canadian national team from 2014 to 2016. Lepage-Joanisse went on to win the Canadian women’s heavyweight title in 2014 and 2015 and finished her successful amateur career with a record of 17-4.

Lepage-Joanisse turned professional in March 2016 and, after just three fights, unsuccessfully challenged Mexico’s Alejandra Jimenez for her WBC World Championship in 2017. Jimenez would later test positive for the use of illegal substances. A heartbroken Lepage-Joanisse left the sport for nearly six years after suffering her only career loss but returned to fighting in March 2023, and won the WBC Heavyweight World Championship by defeating Argentina’s Abril Argentina Vidal by unanimous decision a year later.

“It doesn’t matter to me whether it’s Claressa or someone else. My life is all about challenges,” said Lepage-Joanisse. “I’ve always faced them head-on, and I intend to keep it that way.”

From Miami via Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 26-year-old Michel Rivera (25-1, 14 KOs) rose to prominence by rattling off a string of nationally televised victories over several then-undefeated or once-beaten foes, including Ladarius Miller (then 21-1), Jon Fernandez (then 21-1), Jose Matias Romero (then 24-1), Joseph Adorno (then 14-0-2) and Jerry Perz (then 14-1). Along the way, he captured the IBF–USBA and World Boxing Council Continental Americas Lightweight Championships.

Currently rated WBC #13, Rivera, who some say bears a resemblance to a young Muhammad Ali, was last seen shaking off his only career defeat by scoring an impressive unanimous-decision victory over former world champion Sergey Lipinets (UD 10) in November.

“My fans can expect a real fast, explosive Michel Rivera,” said Rivera during a break in training. “I’ve got a new team, but the same goal. And that’s to be a world champion and dominate the division.”

From La Banda, Santiago del Estero, Argentina, 31-year-old Hugo Roldan (22-2-1, 7 KOs) has already beaten former South American middleweight champion Lucas Bastida (TKO 3); former Argentinean super lightweight champion Damián Yapur (UD 10); former South American lightweight champion Sergio Gil (KO 1); former Argentine welterweight champion, Chaco Victor Hugo Velázquez (UD 10) and WBC Latino Super Lightweight Champion Emiliano “Cobrita” Domínguez twice (both UD 10) in his six-year career.

Roldan was undefeated before coming to North America to fight, where he suffered both his controversial losses via 10-round decisions to Joseph Adorno in September 2022 and, most recently, in September of last year to Batyrzhan Jukembayev. Between those two losses, Roldan returned home to Argentina in February of last year to win the WBA Fedelatin Welterweight Championship with a 10-round unanimous decision over Jose Hugo Acevedo.

“We’ve fought twice in the United States and lost close decisions because of local favoritism,” said Roldan. “This time we are not leaving it in the hands of the judges.”

Currently rated IBF #13, Shohjahon Ergashev (24-1, 21 KOs) from Detroit via Rakhmon, Uzbekistan, is a popular southpaw puncher, who trains at the Kronk Gym with renowned trainer SugarHill Steward.

Before suffering his only career defeat, in an unsuccessful challenge for then-champion Subriel Matias’ IBF Super Lightweight World Championship in November, Ergashev had dominated his previous competition.

He stopped the previously unbeaten Sonny Fredrickson in three rounds in January 2018, and followed that up in 2019, by winning a unanimous decision over Mykal Fox, handing him the first defeat of his career. Ergashev most recently defeated Panama City veteran Juan Huertas by first-round knockout in March. In his native Uzbekistan, Ergashev is a celebrity superstar with over 2.7 million Instagram followers. Most recently, the 32-year-old starred in a national television commercial for the INFINITI QX50 line of luxury cars.

“I am happy to be back in the ring,” said Ergashev. “I look forward to climbing back up the rankings, winning a world title and knocking out my competition. Don’t blink on July 27. I am putting on a big knockout show.”

Born in Blue Island, Illinois, 33-year-old Julian Smith grew up in a tough neighborhood in the South Suburbs of Chicago. Smith contracted meningitis as an infant, causing him to become deaf and he was teased, mimicked, and bullied because of his speech and hearing impairment. Despite the challenges, Smith had a distinguished amateur boxing record of 84 -7 and was a two-time Chicago Golden Gloves Champion before turning professional in 2018.

In the professional ranks, Smith has fared well against top opposition and scored several noteworthy victories in his 10-bout career, including taking the undefeated 0 from then 14-0-1 Alfredo Escarcega via shutout unanimous decision in July 2022 and the undefeated “0” from then 8-0 Orestes Velazquez via ninth-round stoppage in February of this year.

Having always had to work harder than others to succeed, Smith says he feels a victory over Ergashev will be a major step in helping him become the first deaf African American welterweight champion of the world.

“I have worked hard for this opportunity, and I intend to make the most of it,” said Smith. “Ergashev is a good fighter, but he is in the way of my dreams. I’ve been the underdog my whole life and I’m good at it. July 27 will be a big step toward my goals and I’m training harder than ever to make that happen.”

A fan-friendly fighter, Mercado is an aggressive, yet poised, boxer-puncher who was voted BoxingScene.com’s 2023 Prospect of the Year. Comparing his mindset to the (the late) former champion Edwin Valero, Mercado says he’s an old-school fighter who is not interested in looking pretty and wants to “take his opponents’ heads off.”

In his three-year professional career, Pomona, California’s Mercado won the North American Boxing Association USA Super Lightweight Championship in 2022 and successfully defended it twice and, in mid-2024, already has three victories under his belt this year.

Mercado stopped then 19-6-2 Cristian Bielma in February and was last seen taking out Colombian veteran Deiner Berrio (then 22-4-1) in April.

“I know he has experience,” said Mercado of upcoming opponent Sarmiento. “In his last fight, he went the distance with Denys Berinchyk from Ukraine, who is now a world champ at 135 pounds after beating Emanuel Navarrete. So, you know he’s a tough guy. He’ll pressure me to fight, and he throws very unorthodox punches, which will make it hard to counter him. I will have to be mindful and defensively sharp.”

22-year-old Mercado says he feels he’s closing in on a world-title shot and is looking forward to the exposure fighting in front of so many fans in Detroit can bring.

“I feel like I’m ready to fight for a world title right now. With the experience I’ve been getting, it shouldn’t be too long. I’m also very excited to fight in front of such a big audience. Getting the recognition of being in these big fights motivates me in the gym. I can’t wait and I hope to make a lot of new fans that night.”

From Folsom, California, via Lexington, Kentucky, Worthington, the first fighter to ever sign with Claressa Shields’ T-Rex Promotions, finished her impressive amateur career with 36 wins (14 losses), including five national championships, a bronze at the Youth World Championships, and a fifth-place finish at the Olympic Trials for the 2016 Olympics. Thus far as a pro, Worthington has gone undefeated at 8-0, 6 KOs and was last seen winning her Universal Boxing Organization Super Lightweight Championship by scoring a near-shutout unanimous decision over Yazmin Rivas in front of her home-state fans in Kentucky last January.

“I am so grateful for this opportunity!” said Worthington. “Claressa has believed in me since the amateurs, so it is extremely special to have her backing me now in the pros. And I know that being able to fight on this stage is going to put the world on notice and let the super lightweight division know I’m here to dominate! Edina Kiss is a veteran of the sport and I’m so excited to display my skills against someone who has shared the ring with some of the greats! Training has been going great and I’m ready to show everyone that I deserve to be here.”

Al Mashhadi is a 21-year-old southpaw with an entertaining fighting style who was last seen taking out 58-fight Colombian trialhorse Daulis Prescott in one round at Wayne State Fieldhouse, Detroit in March of last year.

“I feel really blessed to get this opportunity in my hometown at Little Caesars Arena. It’s a big deal and I’m looking forward to it,” said Al Mashhadi. “I know my opponent is from Argentina and a veteran with a lot of fights. He’s coming to fight and give me a run for my money, so I’m training hard to ready for him. This will be the first southpaw I fight in the pros, so I’m sparring Ardreal Holmes and a lot of other tough southpaws to get ready.”

Pankey is a 25-year-old slugger who was last seen putting on the fight of the night in his first career loss against Mexico’s Juan Hernandez Martinez via razor-thin six-round decision at Wayne State Fieldhouse, Detroit in February of last year.

“Training is going great,” said Pankey. “I’m hitting harder than ever before and I’m in tip-top shape. I could go 12 rounds today. I know this opponent has never been stopped, but I feel I will be the first to do it.”