Over the weekend, more than 16,000 fans, including former and current world champions such as Floyd Mayweather, Terence Crawford and Shakur Stevenson, filled State Farm Arena in Atlanta to witness Claressa Shields dominate Kaye Scott. Shields made quick work of Scott winning by TKO in six rounds after unleashing a flurry of punches against the Australian, whose corner threw in the towel to stop the fight before more damage could be done. The celebrity sightings, audacious music performances and Shields’s pure class made it an entertaining night as the American took Scott’s middleweight world title. But no one will be asking for a rematch any time soon. Shields is in a peculiar position.
She lacks knockout power – only four of her 19 wins have ended in KOs – but she is unbeaten and has won world titles across five weight classes to go alongside her two Olympic golds. She’s the most renowned figure in her sport, but lacks the type of fierce rival who would help her push women’s boxing forward. Throughout the history of men’s boxing, rivalries have sparked intrigue, spurred animosity, and driven growth.
Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao; Joe Louis and Max Schmeling; Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier; and Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield were rivals who helped boxing thrive. In other sports, it becomes second nature to associate Larry Bird with Magic Johnson, Tom Brady with Peyton Manning, and Lionel Messi with Cristiano Ronaldo. Women’s boxing needs a similar culture-shifting rivalry to reach its pinnacle.
After her victory over Scott – who is 42 and had just seven professional fights before Saturday – I asked Shields about whether the lack of an outstanding rival was a negative. It’s just not going to happen … God chose me to be No 1, and I train to be No 1. I don’t need another dance partner who is easy to beat because they’re all easy to beat.
Right now, I’m in my Mike Tyson era. Everyone is showing up to the arena to see what Claressa Shields is going to do.” Shields’s promoter Dmitry Salita, pushed back on the notion that the 31-year-old has yet to face a worthy opponent. Claressa has gone up and down in weight throughout her career.
We line them up, and Claressa Shields knocks them down … No man or woman in this sport has the resume of Claressa Shields.” It’s not just inside the ring where Shields dominates though. Her contemporaries have yet to equal her mastery of social media to initiate discussions that drive engagement online. When she’s not boxing, thousands are intrigued by her controversial remarks, her relationship with rapper Papoose and her elaborate style.
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