Claressa Shields is the undisputed world heavyweight champion of women’s boxing. The self-proclaimed “Greatest Woman Of All-Time” has backed up her moniker without zero doubt. I first learned of Shields because of a verbal back-and-forth that came about with boxing legend Laila Ali back in 2012. The ever-so-confident Laila Ali seemed reluctant to concede the thrown in her sport. It’s understandable, and I think that dynamic exists in all sports. But at this point, what Shields is doing in this current competitive landscape is impressive. She is a symbol of excellence.
So with her success, becoming the only woman to be an undisputed champion in three different weight classes, she has been doing more press than ever. That led to me coming across an interview of hers from the past on Instagram. In this conversation, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist talked about being overlooked during that year’s games. At 17, Shields had won a gold medal in boxing, yet she didn’t feel as heralded. She cited not being considered for the Essence cover that highlighted the likes of Allyson Felix and Gaby Douglas that same year.
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It’s that feeling of being overlooked that I believe has helped fuel the 29-year-old’s fire and determination. Although in recent months, much of the coverage surrounding Shields is in reference to her budding relationship with rapper Papoose. The undisputed champion is clearly not letting that attention get to her head. With her only loss coming during her amateur career, Shields boasts a 16-0 professional record as of this writing.
Photo: Terrell Groggins/Getty Images
The Michigan native has done nothing but continue to ascend since her time in the Olympics 13 years ago. There’s an irony that the majority of the women on that cover are now retired. That’s no fault of their own. It’s mostly by virtue of age. So maybe time is on Shields’ side. But the fact that she competes in the more vicious sport and continues to bring it more notoriety is amazing. To have never felt a defeat professionally up until this point is reason to be celebrated as well.
How we react to not being considered in life can make all of the difference. Shields is someone who did go and get it out the mud. As a sexual assault survivor and making it out of an impoverished upbringing in Flint, Michigan, she has won in the most miraculous of ways. It’s clear her snub on that cover was a pivotal moment for her. It can seem that it was the proverbial tenet of turning a negative into a positive. But clearly, that tenet is undefeated. It serves as a great reminder to not always be prisoners of negative moments, because look what opulence can lay on the other side of them.
