Copyright Sports Illustrated
On November 7, news broke that two-time Olympic gold medalist and undisputed heavyweight champion Claressa Shields (who goes by the "GWOAT") signed a guaranteed $8 million multi-fight partnership with Wynn Records and Salita Promotions. This is a fascinating piece of news for several reasons. One being that no female boxer has ever made this sort of money inside the ring. What's more, Shields is now the first fighter or athlete promoted by Wynn Records, which is best known for being a music promotion agency. The goal for this partnership is "to blend boxing, culture, and music to elevate the sport and its athletes beyond the traditional sports pages," according to Dmitri Salita, owner of Salita Promotions. While specific details about what this partnership will entail are still unclear, one thing that's for sure is that it will not include a fight with boxing legend Laila Ali. After years of back-and-forth between Shields and Ali (specifically with Shields trying to entice Ali, who hasn't fought since 2007, out of retirement), Ali made it clear she wouldn't come out of retirement to fight Shields by saying on October 31, "So, did [Shields'] plan work? Did she make me mad enough to come out of retirement after 18 years and start training again, to make her dream of fighting me, and having a big payday, courtesy of Laila Ali, come true? Absolutely not." "[Shields] will not be rewarded with the opportunity to share the ring with me, or anything else. There's your answer," Ali later added. Claressa Shields Talks New Fight Contract, Laila Ali Fight Refusal Shields was the guest on a November 10 episode of The Ariel Helwani Show. When asked about how many fights are included in the deal, she revealed it was four. "If I do three fights next year, and then fight one the next year. However we can get four fights in within two years, honestly," Shields added, per an X post from Helwani. She went on to note that she doesn't know when her next fight will be, but that "It will be an announcement in about two, three weeks." When asked about Ali's recent fight refusal comments, Shields added, "She already declined it. So I don't want to talk about it anymore. It is what it is... She said no. That is perfectly fine. That is a-okay. It is other girls who are better than her, who are active, that I can fight against." Shields later added, "[Ali] doesn't want to negotiate, she doesn't want to fight, and like I said, that is so beneath me now. And it has been beneath me. I pulled her card. She said no, she made hate documentaries. It is what it is. But your girl just signed for $8 million. $3 million signing bonus." Shields doesn't sound too upset about this historic contract not including a with against Ali. The Latest Boxing News Vergil Ortiz Jr's Coach Teases Options After Erickson Lubin Knockout Mike Tyson Names Ideal Next Opponent For Terence Crawford After Canelo Win Vergil Ortiz Calls Out Crawford And Ennis As Oscar De La Hoya Sends Clear Message
