Watch: Claressa Shields Stops Kaye Scott With Brutal Hooks To Earn Multiple World Titles
Claressa Shields is a middleweight champion again after stopping Kaye Scott in the sixth round at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Shields forced Scott’s corner to throw in the towel at 1:38 of the round, reclaiming the WBC and WBA women’s middleweight belts and moving to 19-0 with four knockouts.
Video: Claressa Shields TKO of Kaye Scott
The US-born Shields had returned to 160 pounds for the first time since 2023 after competing up at light-heavyweight and heavyweight. The 31-year-old American said she began camp at 198 pounds and lost 38 pounds across 14 weeks to make the middleweight limit. She had previously held undisputed status at the weight before her move through other divisions.
Scott, 42, came into the contest holding the WBA and WBC titles, but the American athlete controlled the pace from the opening stages. The Australian tried to use her physical strength and spent time pressing the US-born champ to the ropes, especially in the fifth, but Shields landed the more telling shots to the body and head.
The Olympic medalist Shields appeared measured early, later explaining that she wanted to read Scott and manage her energy after the weight cut. She said Scott’s strength surprised her, though it did not keep the 31-year-old athlete from taking over the fight.
The finish arrived in the sixth. A left hook knocked Scott off balance and sent her through the ropes for a knockdown. The Olympian then closed in with Scott pinned near the ropes, firing combinations while Scott struggled to offer a sustained response.
Scott’s corner threw several towels into the ring as the American-born athlete continued to attack. Referee Joel Scobie accepted the retirement and officially recorded the result as a technical knockout at 1:38. Scott drops to 5-2-1.
The win marked the 31-year-old’s first stoppage victory in more than two years and her fourth as a professional. She explained that she did not enter the ring focused on a knockout, but the opening developed once Scott began taking clean shots.
Claressa Shields calls out Lauren Price
“I was just trying to assess [Scott] initially,” Shields said after the fight. “She was stronger than I thought.” She added that the disciplined camp and major weight cut made her cautious about overworking in the early rounds.
She then immediately put Lauren Price at the top of her list for the next fight. The Welsh southpaw is the reigning welterweight champion, and the Olympian said she would like to meet her around December or January.
A Shields-Price matchup would bring together two Olympic gold medalists with world titles across several weight classes. Shields’ promoter Dmitriy Salita said he sees the United States as the preferred location, while Shields has suggested a two-fight arrangement that could include a rematch in the United Kingdom.
