Boxing
Shields vs. Baumgardner went too far
Published
3 months agoon
Claressa Shields and Alycia Baumgardner no longer exchange insults like rival champions trying to sell a fight. The dispute has now escalated into a physical confrontation, possible police involvement and an indefinite ban so solemn that the situation goes far beyond boxing.
What began as another social media war between two of women’s boxing’s biggest names exploded publicly at the inaugural MVP event over the weekend after Shields admitted to punching Baumgardner during a backstage confrontation.
The feud quickly escalated, and Baumgardner appeared to allude to police involvement on social media, issuing a public statement against Shields and Most Valuable Promotions that banned the undisputed heavyweight champion from all future events until further notice.
Klaressa Shields slaps
Footage circulating online shows a heated argument between the pair, after which Shields punched Baumgardner during the exchange.
Shields later openly admitted to punching her rival and stated that Baumgardner had threatened her earlier.
“I will continue to give bitches hell with respect. This little ass said ‘I’m going to kick your ass now’ after she has already disrespected me,” Shields wrote.
“Now you’re playing the victim with class. You can’t threaten people, accept it [slap] and try to get your licking back!”
As online criticism mounted, Shields doubled down again.
“I didn’t smuggle anyone in. I was right next to her,” Shields wrote in another post.
In reports surrounding the incident, Baumgardner compared Shields to James Brown shortly before the confrontation became physical, although neither player has publicly confirmed this version of events.
The rivalry had already become one of the ugliest public feuds in women’s boxing long before things finally spilled out behind the scenes in Los Angeles.
Statement of Alycia Baumgardner
Baumgardner later issued a lengthy statement accusing Shields of a repeated pattern of “hostility, chaos and attention-seeking behavior.”
“When your goal is to rise above, there will always be people who will try to bring you down to the level from which they operate,” Baumgardner said.
“When I participated as a guest at the inaugural MMA Most Valuable Promotions gala, I experienced physical violence without provocation.
“This behavior reflects a repeated pattern of hostility, chaos and attention-seeking that continues to shame women in sports.”
Baumgardner added that the case will continue to be handled “legally and professionally.”
The unified champion also released footage of her speaking to police after the incident, fueling speculation that the altercation may now have legal ramifications.
in MVP
MVP later released his own statement confirming that Shields had been banned indefinitely from all future corporate events.
“Effective immediately, Claressa Shields is banned from all MVP events until further notice,” the promotion announced.
“There is a time and place for tension and banter, but physically attacking another athlete while they are a guest in a private VIP area is unacceptable.”
The organization also thanked the facility’s security for quickly deescalating the situation and praised Baumgardner for refraining from further retaliation during the incident.
Shields vs. Baumgardner
The strange thing about boxing is that the bad blood now seems bigger than the fight itself.
Baumgardner recently fought at 129 pounds while defending her super featherweight titles, while Shields now fights at heavyweight after weighing in at around 174 pounds in her most recent fights.
This puts the pair more than £40 apart before negotiations even begin.
The competition outside the ring is getting fiercer, and the fight itself is looking less and less realistic.
What once looked like one of the biggest possible superfights in women’s boxing now feels like something else entirely.
Hit. Possible police involvement. Indefinite ban.
And still no fight.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
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Boxing
Moses Itauma Calls Out Next Opponent After Stunning Loss to Filip Hrgovic
Published
6 hours agoon
September 1, 2026
Moses It will hurt suffered a surprising defeat to Filip Hrgovic on Saturday, and the 21-year-old has now revealed who he wants to face upon his return.
Itauma looked to be fulfilling his destiny and dominating his Croatian opponent during the opening rounds at the O2 Arena over the weekend, but his success soon turned to desperation when Hrgovic’s chin held up and his own stamina did not.
An exhausted Itauma eventually collapsed in round nine of the contestwith Hrgovic pulling off a remarkable upset to throw the heavyweight scene a huge curveball, hand Itauma a first career loss and get his hands on the IBF heavyweight world title.
In an interview with talkSPORT Boxingpromoter Frank Warren revealed that Itauma has already asked for a rematch with ‘El Animal’.
“In that last round, he was still firing back. He has got a firing heart, he is a very brave young man, very brave. It’s now about what he does, how he prepares, he is saying to me, ‘can we get the rematch on?’, which is a natural reaction.”
Despite the 21-year-old’s desire to take on Hrgovic for a second time, it seems as though the latter will be made to face Cuba’s Frank Sanchez, who agreed to a step-aside deal to allow Itauma and Hrgovic to fight for the IBF title under the condition that he would face the winner.
Continuing, Warren seemed to confirm that a scrap between Hrgovic and Sanchez will be next, advising Itauma to take some time off before rushing into a second shot at the heavyweight throne.
“I told him, ‘you have got to just switch off from boxing, go and chill out, go and spend some time with your family and then come back, recharge your batteries and then we will get to work again,’
“The landscape is what it is, he is a a part of it, he has shown that he belongs at that level and provided that we learn and he learns some lessons from the fight, I think that he can go on and do some great things.”
In his post-fight interview, newly-crowned IBF champion Hrgovic spoke of his desire for a bout on home soil in Croatia; where he has not fought since 2019.
As a result, Warren may next target Zagreb for a clash between Hrgovic and Sanchez, which should take place within the next six months.
Boxing
Shawn Porter Expects a Dazzling Comeback from Canelo Against Explosive Prospect Mbilli
Published
6 hours agoon
September 1, 2026
Canelo Alvarez is hoping to regain one of his former super-middleweight titles at the first time of asking when he makes his comeback this October against WBC champion Christian Mbilli. Two-time welterweight ruler Shawn Porter has revealed his prediction for the fight.
Alvarez lost all four of his belts at 168lbs to Terence Crawford last September and has since been sidelined due to an elbow injuryas Crawford’s retirement saw the coronation of four new world champions.
One of those beneficiaries was Mbilli, who had been in possession of the WBC Interim crown when ‘Bud’ decided to hang up the glovesallowing him to be elevated to full champion and then lined up for a showdown with Canelo.
Canelo’s remaining quality at the age of 36 is an ongoing debate amongst fans and analysts, leading many to predict an intriguing and potentially even fight. Yet, speaking on The PorterWay Podcast‘Showtime’ said that Alvarez will look like an ‘A++ fighter’ come fight night.
“Canelo truly does have that fast twitch; he is explosive, but he is explosive with speed and quickness and that fast twitch is going to get Canelo to that mark a little bit quicker.
“Yeah, I think [he can still do it] at 36. If you think about it, even though Canelo is not that ‘A++’ fighter that he used to be, he is still a solid ‘A’ and that solid ‘A’ will beat a solid ‘B’ [in Mbilli].
“That solid ‘B’ will make a solid ‘A’ look like an ‘A++’, so I think that he is going to look ‘A++’.”
Canelo-Mbilli takes place on Saturday, October 31, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The super-middleweight duo will top a ‘Mexico vs. The World’ themed bill, which could feature a bantamweight title unification between WBA champion and pound-for-pound sensation Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and WBO titleholder Christian Medina.
Boxing
Undefeated KO Artist Moves Closer to Canelo Fight After Latest Stoppage: Its Going to Happen
Published
1 day agoon
August 31, 2026
Canelo Alvarez could be ordered to enter an immediate title defence if he emerges victorious against Christian Mbilli on October 31.
The Mexican has not fought since September 2025, when he was relieved of his undisputed super-middleweight crown after losing a unanimous decision to Terence Crawford.
On that same card, Mbilli retained his WBC ‘interim’ strap following a 10-round draw against Lester Martinezmaintaining his position as one of the top contenders at 168lbs.
The Frenchman was then upgraded to full world champion in December, with Crawford having relinquished his four major titles and announced his retirement as a three-division undisputed king.
Canelo will therefore have the opportunity to reclaim one of his old belts in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Mbilli making a first defence of his WBC title.
The winner of their showdown may then be ordered to face Martinez, as the unbeaten mandatory challenger comes off two successful defences of his WBC ‘interim’ strap.
Most recently, the 30-year-old scored a 10th-round stoppage of Luka Plantic last weekend, which followed his unanimous decision victory over Immanuwel Aleem in March.
Speaking at the post-fight presser following his win against Plantic, Martinez said through a translator that he expects to eventually face both Canelo and Mbilli.
“No, look, at the end of the day, I’ve said it before: the second fight [with Mbilli] will happen, possibly next year or the year after. But either one of those fights makes sense for us.
“We know the eyes of the world are going to be on [Mbilli-Canelo]and because we’re going to be there, we’re going to take advantage of all of that. But both fights are going to happen.”
Having already created the “blueprint” to defeat Canelo, Crawford trainer Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre said afterwards that he is supremely confident in guiding Martinez to victory against either Alvarez or Mbilli.
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