Claressa Shields Reveals Why Boxing Legend Laila Ali Refuses to Meet Her
Claressa Shields claims Laila Ali doesn’t want the smoke.
Holding 18 world championships across five different weight classes, there’s no denying that Shields is the undisputed ‘GWOAT’ of women’s boxing. But there’s still one name on her hit list that she can’t seem to scratch off, though it’s not for a lack of trying.
That name is none other than Ali, a four-time undefeated world champion and the daughter of boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
“She already declined it, so I don’t even talk about it anymore,” Shields told Ariel Helwani when asked about a long-rumored clash with Ali. “It is what it is. … She said no perfectly fine, that is a-okay. Okay. It’s other girls who are better than her, who are active, who I can fight against.
“…I pulled her card. She said no. She may hate documentaries. It is what it is. But your girl just signed for $8 million, $3 million signing bonus. And I’m excited to get back inside the ring and show everybody why I got this big lucrative deal because I’m that girl and I am the greatest woman of all time.
“You don’t say no to a fight that you want if you want more money, it’s called negotiate. So, there is no—she doesn’t want to negotiate. She doesn’t want to fight.”
Shields hasn’t been able to lure Ali out of the shadows, but that hasn’t stopped her from stacking bodies. In February, ‘T-Rex’ became boxing’s first female undisputed heavyweight champion, handily defeating Danielle Perkins in her hometown. Since then, she’s successfully defended the crown, earning a unanimous decision over Lani Daniels in Detroit.
Shields has not locked in her next fight, but she plans to compete in the first quarter of 2026. The bout will be her first under a new multi-fight, $8 million contract she recently signed with Salita Promotions and Wynn Records.
