Boxing is a sport that focuses on an individual’s professional achievements. During a guest appearance on the show “The Million Dollar Game” podcast, undisputed women’s heavyweight champion of the world Claressa Shields slammed Laila Ali’s boxing legacy.
Shields had already challenged Ali to a boxing match, as the two had been involved in a long public feud. During her appearance on Million Dollaz Worth of Game, Shields expressed her opinion that Laila Ali is not the best boxer of her era.
Shields then named who she believed was the best women’s boxer of that era. Shields questions Ali’s standing, but she remains adamant that she is the greatest boxer of her time.
Ali and Shields don’t see eye to eye these days, but there was a time when they bonded. When Claressa Shields won her first Olympic gold medal in 2012, she reached out to Ali, who shared some solid career advice.
Ali told Shields that the 168-pound weight class she fights in has no competition there and she wouldn’t make much money. Ali recommended that once Shields turns pro, she should cut weight and compete in one of the lower weight classes.
After Shields turned professional, she kept in touch with Ali. The relationship between Shields and Ali deteriorated dramatically when Ali stopped by a Up-to-date York radio station to promote her cookbook.
During her promotional break as a guest on “The Breakfast Club”, Ali was asked if she would ever return to boxing, to which she replied that she did not see anyone there that would inspire her to return.
Claressa Shields took offense to Ali’s statement and began calling Ali out on YouTube and social media. Rumors about a potential boxing match have begun to circulate, but nothing specific has been revealed yet.
In October 1999, Laila Ali made her professional debut, defeating April Fowler in the first round. Over the years, Ali won IBA, WIBA and WIBF belts. In June 2005, Ali defeated Erin Toughill in the 3rd round to win the inaugural WBC Women’s Super Middleweight World Title.
Two years later, Laila Ali entered the squared circle for the last time, defeating Gwendolyn O’Neil in the first round. After retiring from professional boxing, Laila Ali (24-0, 21 KO) was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021.
Now 47-year-old Laila Ali is being urged to sign up for the biggest women’s boxing match of the year. Claressa Shields challenged, trolled, and insulted Ali during her recent podcast appearance.
“I’m going to take the high road like Terence Crawford and say she was the best of her era,” Shields said. “Actually, I’m not going to lie, Ann Wolfe was the best of her era and I’m the best of her era. Laila Ali is basically Muhammad Ali’s daughter.”
Shields added that if a fight had happened, Ann Wolfe would have knocked out Laila Ali. Ann Wolfe (24-1, 16 KO) is known for the most devastating one-punch knockout in women’s boxing history, when she knocked out 6-foot-4 Vonda Ward in the first round.
When talking about Ann Wolfe, Laila Ali said that there were plans to fight Wolfe, but Wolfe withdrew because she was not offered enough money. Ali missed her chance to fight Wolf, but the question is will she accept huge money to fight undisputed three-division world champion Claressa Shields?
In her heyday, Laila Ali controlled the distance well with a sturdy, precise jab. A jab, two punches, a straight right hand, well-placed body shots and combination punches were just some of the weapons that made Ali risky.
Claressa Shields is a pure boxing technician who has all the tools. She is a very athletic boxer who has ring intelligence, hand speed, footwork, excellent punch placement, and when she is ready to be aggressive, she is able to push forward and hit her opponent with many piercing combinations.
As a fantasy fight, this is an amazing matchup, but from a reality standpoint, this fight probably won’t happen. Ali is a true fighting champion, but to retire for 18 years and then come back and compete with a boxer of the caliber of Claressa Shields is a bit ambitious and unrealistic.
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