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(L-R) – Claressa Shields & Pryce Taylor
NEW YORK CITY (February 16, 2026) – Brooklyn’s undefeated heavyweight Pryce Taylor (10-0, 6 KOs) is set to make his third consecutive appearance in Detroit and fifth overall in Michigan. He will face James Evans (9-2-1, 7 KOs) this Sunday in an eight-round bout at Little Caesars Arena.
Pryce will also be fighting on a loaded Salita Promotions card, headlined by All-World Claressa Shields (17-0), the undisputed world female heavyweight champion, streaming live on DAZN. This fight will mark the third time Pryce has fought on a show featuring Shields in the main event (Feb. 22 vs. Franchon Crews Dezurn (10-2).
The added exposure Taylor receives fighting on the same card as Shields is invaluable, especially considering the international range of DAZN.
“My promoter, Dimitry Salita, has a lot of connections in Detroit,” Taylor noted about fighting again in Detroit. “I like fighting and have no complaints about where. Wherever it is, I bring my New York City charisma. Claressa’s Detroit fans are 100-percent behind me, and I’ve gained a lot of followers fighting on DAZN cards that she headlines.
“Claressa is an inspiration for what she has accomplished. We know each other through my coach. He was one of the USA Boxing Team’s coaches when she was on it, so we are cool with each other and support each other. After my last fight, she gave me some good advice. She likes my style and said if I follow her advice, I’ll be faster, and she’s right.”
In December, Taylor demonstrated notable progress in his skill set during his latest bout, securing an almost “shutout” victory with an 8-round unanimous decision (80-72, 80-72, 79-73) against veteran heavyweight Michael Polite-Coffie (13-5, 10 KOs), further establishing his reputation as one of America’s most promising heavyweights.
Evans, who fights out of Toledo, Ohio, is coming off a 6-round unanimous decision victory last August to Vercell Webster, whose 2 losses and 1 draw have been to undefeated fighters.
The 29-year-old Taylor’s last 2 fights have been 8-rounders, as his match with Evans, and he’s preparing to soon graduate to a 10-round fighter.
“I feel like I’m ready for 10-plus rounds and title fights,” Taylor said. I’ve been training to go 12 rounds. My stamina is much better now because of some changes we made in my training.”
“Claressa Shields sets the standard for championship excellence, and fighting on her undercard puts Pryce in front of a global audience,” Taylor’s manager Keith Sullivan commented. “Pryce is ready to grab that moment and showcase why he is the American heavyweight to watch.”
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