The feud between Claressa Shields and Laila Ali has been one of the most talked-about rivalries in women’s boxing, despite the two never sharing the ring. Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and undisputed champion, has often declared herself the greatest woman of all time (GWOAT). Ali, an undefeated former champion and daughter of Muhammad Ali, has publicly questioned Shields’ claim and expressed confidence in her own abilities.
Tensions escalated as both exchanged verbal jabs through interviews and social media. However, it seems Ali has a lot to focus on in her life at the moment but she still has some words of advice for the boxer.
Claressa Shields and Laila Ali’s rivalry takes a new turn once again
Claressa Shields, the reigning WBC and WBO women’s heavyweight champion, in a candid interview, shed light on the ongoing tensions with Ali, aiming to clear up misunderstandings surrounding their rivalry. Widely regarded as one of the best in women’s boxing, Shields used the opportunity to provide her perspective on what many see as a clash between two different generations of fighters. The friction between Shields and Ali stems from a series of comments exchanged over the years, fueling speculation and debate among fans. But how exactly did the rivalry start between the two?
Well, in an interview on Sway’s Universe from four years ago, Ali was asked her honest opinion of what she thinks of Claressa Shields. In reply, she said, “First of all, she could never beat me. Let me get that real straight.” This did not go well with the 29-year-old, who decided to respond promptly. During an interview, the two-time Olympic gold medalist didn’t hold her feelings back and said, “If you go on boxrec and look at my caliber of opponents and look at her caliber of opponents you’ll see why she’s 24-0 with maybe 23 knockouts”.
While speaking on the All the Smoke Fight Clips Ali responded to Shields’ comments about her record, ‘She was basically trying to degrade my legacy and everything that I had done. I was like, ‘Wow you are crossing a line. You can think you can beat me, you can think that that’s fine. But to start going in on my legacy and what I have and haven’t done?” She further added, “‘You are not going to get very far in your life if you continue burning bridges. You gonna see a lot of people surpass you even though you are talented. So never think too big of yourself. You got to watch your character you got to stay humble.’”
