Claressa Shields has soared to the top of the boxing hierarchy, and wants to rise above and beyond.
The Two time Olympic gold medallist and current WBC and WBO female light middleweight champion of the world addresses herself as the Greatest Woman of All Time, and is never shy to speak of her achievements inside the ring and outside as well.
The American boxing icon has also drawn attention from the mixed martial arts fraternity as she signed with Professional Fighters League (PFL) in November last year, and has also raised concern about the gender inequality in boxing.
By now, Claressa Shields was known by her nickname “T-Rex”, but she wants to change that, along with her future path as a pugilist. She now calls herself “The GWOAT”, and wants to follow the footsteps of Muhammad Ali- the status of being the greatest of all time.
98 per cent of men in the world can’t beat me: Claressa Shields places herself right after Ali
As she prepares for her title defenses against IBF female light middleweight titleholder Marie-Eve Dicaire, Claressa Shields is not fond of the fans of the sport underestimating her, and is always eager to voice her greatness.
“Only the greats know that they’re great,” Shields drew the example of Muhammad Ali, and how the boxing virtuoso transformed from being “The Louisville Lip” to “The Greatest.”
“Like Muhammad Ali. Nobody called him the greatest of all time. They actually called him the ‘Louisville Lip’ because he talked too much,” the 25-year-old went on, “If he had never said he was the greatest of all time, he would have never been considered the greatest. No matter what boxer comes along, nobody can get in front of Muhammad Ali. That’s how I feel about myself.“
“Muhammad Ali is first, and Claressa Shields is second. I am the greatest woman of all time, and 98 per cent of men in the world can’t beat me,” the number one pound-for-pound female boxer added, which reminds of how Shields challenged to “beat the s*** out of Jake Paul” back in December.
Moreover in a recent tweet, “T-Rex” Shields insisted that she also wants to transition into her new nickname just like Ali, and wants to be called “The Wolf”.
“This is a new era for me. My name from now on is Claressa ‘The Wolf’ Shields. [Previous nickname] ‘T-Rex’ has long gone. ‘T-Rex’ was aggressive, but the greatest of all time has so much more. She possesses poise, power, and punch placement,” Shields asserted. (H/T Sky Sports)
However, Shields followed up with a tweet, clarifying that her nickname was “The GWOAT”, and not “The Wolf”.
