The journey of Claressa Shields has been incredible. She has demonstrated through her success that she is in a league of her own and does not plan on stopping anytime soon.
This article will explore a little bit about Shields before dissecting her most recent win. Follow on for Claressa Shields: An Undisputed Journey!
Early Life and Amateur Career
Claressa is a twenty nine year-old boxer who hails from Flint, Michigan.
She came from humble beginnings and was introduced to boxing by her father, Bo. She started training at Berston Field House. Throughout her amateur career, Shields won two Junior Olympic championships, two regional titles, and the National Police Athletic League Championships in 2011.
This success was followed by an outstanding performance at the U.S. Olympic trials, where Shields defeated reigning national champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn. Claressa won gold in the middleweight division at the 2012 Olympics in London when she was just 17 years old.
Her victory made her the first American woman to win a gold medal in boxing. This level of success at the beginning of her career would be the foundation that Shields would continue building on.
Pro Career and Building a Fight Legacy
In 2014, she won the national championships in Washington and the Pan American Olympic Festival, defeating Yenebier Guillén. She completed a successful year by winning the world championships in South Korea.
The next two years would mark the end of her amateur career. She defended her U.S. national title by defeating Raquel Miller in the gold medal match, and she also won gold in the middleweight division at the 2016 Olympics. The final was a rematch of the world championships against Nouchka Fontijn, and Shields once again defeated the Dutchwoman to win gold.
Claressa announced her decision to enter professional boxing in November 2016. Her first professional fight was against Szilvia Szabados, whom she defeated by TKO to win the middleweight American Boxing Federation title in 2017. In 2019, Shields became the undisputed middleweight world champion.
In 2021, she added to her success by defeating Marie-Eve Dicaire to retain her welterweight titles and win the IBF 154-pound belt. This victory also made Shields the first female boxer to be an undisputed champion in two weight classes. Claressa retained her titles in 2022, defeating Ema Kozin by unanimous decision and winning the WBF female middleweight title. She successfully defended her undisputed middleweight title against Maricela Cornejo in 2023.
MMA Debut
Shields made the decision to join the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in 2020, signing a three-year contract. Her debut was against Brittney Elkin, and she won in the third round via technical knockout.
Shields’ next fight was scheduled for 2021 against Abigail Montes. This was one of the only fights Shields had lost in her entire career, losing by split decision.
In her third fight of 2024, Shields faced Kelsey DeSantis at 165 pounds and won by split decision. Her career in mixed martial arts is far from over; in 2023, Shields announced that she had signed with the PFL for another three years. We can expect Claressa to return to the octagon in the coming years.
Recent Fight Glory
Claressa’s most recent fight was against Danielle Perkins, and while she won, she told the press afterward that she may need surgery on her left arm. The “GWOAT” stated that she tore her labrum last week and that the fight almost did not happen, but she did not want to disappoint Flint, her hometown, where the bout was being held.
Shields landed some powerful punches throughout the fight, but she mentioned that her shoulder injury prevented her from using her jab as much as she wanted. While she did not get the knockout she desired, Claressa did land a knockdown in the final seconds of the tenth round, saving Perkins with the bell. She is now the undisputed champion, with a 16-0 record.
Claressa Shields’ career has been one of incredible success, and it does not appear that she will be stopping anytime soon. Whether it’s MMA or boxing, there is no doubt that Claressa will continue to challenge all her future opponents with the same tenacity.
