Claressa Shields Addresses Boxing Suspension Following Positive Marijuana Test
Claressa Shields has been having a tough time following her boxing suspension for testing positive for marijuana.
The 29-year-old appeared on Tamron Hall to explain how her oral mouth swab could have come back positive after her match in Michigan.
“One, the place reeked of marijuana,” Shields explained, describing the venue where the boxing match occurred. “Before I got to do the mouth swab, everybody was hugging and kissing me in Flint. … I know some boxers don’t stop and greet the fans but I’m not one of them. I hugged and kissed everybody back.”
Anthony Joshua is looking to plot his way back to the top of the heavyweight division one more time.
Joshua has been a huge star on the world scene over the last decade. His journey started soon after winning a gold medal in the London Olympics and he rose quickly through the pro ranks, collecting world honours on the way.
His first title came in 2016 when he beat Charles Martin inside two rounds for the IBF belt, and then unified against Wladimir Klitschko in an epic battle at Wembley Stadium which involved both men being knocked down.
He added the WBO title with a points win in 2018 when he was taken the distance for the first time by Joseph Parker, and since then there have been plenty of ups and downs.
In June 2019 he took his first loss when he was stopped by late stand-in Andy Ruiz, but won the belts back in a rematch later that year.
In 2021 and 2022, he went into back-to-back fights with Oleksandr Usyk and came out with no belts after losing both contests on points.
Following another rebuild he went into another world title shot against Daniel Dubois in September 2024 but was stopped inside five rounds, and is currently on the sidelines waiting to make his next move.
Speaking to The Ariel Helwani Show, it was put to Parker, who is the interim WBO champion, that a Joshua rematch was a good option now given that Usyk and Dubois are likely to pursue an undisputed fight.
“Let’s push for it. I agree. As we focus on my career, I think those three names will be next in line. I think [Joshua] would accept the fight with me. It would be a very different fight to 2018. We’re both older, maturer, wiser. The fighter that I was before, sometimes I look back and go ‘who is that guy?’”
Whoever beats Parker – who recently knocked out late replacement opponent Martin Bakole in two rounds – will become the WBO number one and first in line for a shot against current champion Usyk.
The one fight Joshua and the rest of the boxing world wanted to see was against Tyson Fury, but he retired at the end of January after his own pair of losses to Usyk.
Claressa Shields says she’s never used weed. Did secondhand smoke cause failed drug test?
The saga of boxer Claressa Shields is unfolding.
She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. A three-time undisputed world champion. But, at 29, the self-proclaimed “GWOAT” (Greatest Woman Of All-Time) is facing a question involving her integrity.
Could Shields have tested positive for marijuana even if she never used the drug?
According to Shields, that’s what happened after her last boxing match, a victory over Danielle Perkins Feb. 2 at Dort Financial Center in her hometown of Flint, Michigan. The drug test results have not been publicly released, but Shields has said a saliva test detected “trace” amounts of marijuana, a prohibited substance in competition for professional fighters in Michigan.
Ten days after dominating Perkins in a fight that improved Shields’ record to 16-0 and elevated her to undisputed heavyweight champion came the gut punch. She was suspended by the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission (MUCC), which regulates boxing in the state, and such discipline generally is upheld by other states.
But she’ll soon get a chance to contest the decision.
On March 6, during a pre-hearing meeting before an assistant attorney general, Shields will request her suspension be revoked, according to her lawyer, David Slutsker. “We will present evidence … and be open to any questioning they have,” Slutsker told USA TODAY Sports. Depending on the outcome, a formal hearing could follow.
For now, Shields faces a 90-day suspension, a possible fine and newly surfaced claims about her possible exposure to the drug.
Other boxers tested positive
Shields was not the only boxer on the Feb. 2 card to test positive for marijuana. Eight of the 16 boxers on that night’s card were drug tested by swab, and three tested positive for marijuana, according to Dmitry Salita, the promoter of the show, and Shields’ attorney, Slutsker.
“That number is highly unusual for a single boxing event, particularly one featuring Claressa and other elite athletes,” Salita said. “Given the circumstances, it’s important to review the testing protocols to ensure consistency and fairness.”
Joe Hicks, a middleweight from Michigan, confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that he tested positive for marijuana. Salita said the other boxer who tested positive for marijuana was Skylar Lacy, a heavyweight from Indiana, who did not respond to USA TODAY Sports’ requests for comment left by voicemail, text message and social media.
Hicks, who is 12-0 as a pro boxer, said he worried about potential consequences because he works for an insurance company where “you can lose your job for taking any drugs without a prescription.
“When they called, I was, like, wow,” he said of learning of the results. “I don’t take drugs.”
Adding he was also surprised to hear Shields tested positive, Hicks speculated that marijuana smoke inside the Dort Financial Center in Flint triggered the positive tests.
“Oh man, it was everywhere,” he said. “I’m not exaggerating. … I was getting dressed to take pictures with my family; it was like a big cloud of weed. When you go in the bathroom, it’s just a big cloud of smoke that hits you. You smell nothing but marijuana.”
Marijuana is legal in Michigan but banned at Dort Financial Center. However, Salita and Shields’ manager, Mark Taffet, said the smell was noticeable.
“The hallways smelled horrible,” Taffet said. “… Like where (Shields) took the post-fight (drug) test, that sort of ring of hallway around the building, that smelled terrible.”
Jeremy Torrey, general manager of the Dort Financial Center, declined to comment to USA TODAY Sports.
Secondhand smoke a risk?
Whether secondhand smoke can cause a non-smoker to test positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana that produces a psychoactive effect, depends on the exposure conditions, according to a 2015 study published in Journal of Analytical Toxicology.
The study, which focused on “extreme cannabis smoke exposure conditions tolerable to drug-free nonsmokers,” reported, “Positive tests for THC in oral fluid and blood were obtained for nonsmokers up to (three hours) following exposure.”
But the study also concluded, “positive tests are likely to be rare, limited to the hours immediately post-exposure, and occur only under environmental circumstances where exposure is obvious.”
A 2004 study published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology reported, “Passive exposure to cannabis smoke in an unventilated room has been shown to produce a transient appearance of THC in oral fluid for up to 30 (minutes). However, it is well known that such factors as room size and extent of smoke exposure can affect results.”
Salita, the promoter, said, “The amount detected was negligible and consistent with potential secondhand exposure rather than personal use.”
Shields had said the saliva test showed “trace” levels of marijuana in her system, but she has not publicly released the test results.
What Shields may challenge
Victor Conte, who describes himself as a “dietary supplement and training adviser” for Shields, said the boxer told him she had concerns about how her saliva test was administered after her fight Feb. 2.
Mike Tyson didn’t just fight—he overwhelmed, he intimidated, he devoured. Before the first punch was ever thrown, before the bell even rang, he had already won half the battle. The black trunks. The silent walk to the ring. The cold, dead-eyed stare. It was all part of the act—except it wasn’t an act at all.
And then there was the glove bite.It wasn’t for show, and it wasn’t just some quirky pre-fight ritual. It was raw instinct, a signal to himself and the world that he was ready to go to war. The question is: why?
Why Mike Tyson Bit His Gloves
Mike Tyson never gave a detailed explanation for why he did it, but it was something he did before nearly every fight. He’d stand in the corner, shifting his weight, chewing down on his gloves like a predator about to pounce. It wasn’t superstition. It wasn’t routine. It was something deeper.In his memoir Undisputed Truth, Tyson talked about his mindset before fights: “When I go in the ring, I’m a god. No one can beat me. That’s how I think.”
This was a man who didn’t just want to win—he wanted to dominate. His former trainer, Teddy Atlas, once said, “Mike always had this need to convince himself he was a monster before a fight.”
That switch had to be flipped. The stare-downs, the walkouts, the sheer stillness before the chaos—it was all part of stepping into a mindset where hesitation didn’t exist. The glove bite? That was just another piece of it.
The Fight Where Mike Tyson Bit Evander Holyfield
Of course, when people think of Tyson and biting, they don’t think of his gloves. They think of June 28, 1997.The rematch with Evander Holyfield was already heated. Tyson had lost their first fight and was frustrated by what he saw as repeated headbutts. In the third round, he snapped.The first bite was bad. The second was worse. A piece of Holyfield’s ear hit the canvas. Tyson was disqualified, his boxing license revoked, and a $3 million fine followed.
Gervonta “Tank” Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) will defend his WBA lightweight title against Lamont Roach (25-1-1, 10 KOs) on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The two men have tons of familiarity dating back to their amateur days.
Many doubt that Roach can present Davis with a serious challenge, but the former is determined to convince the world that it won’t be as easy as everyone expects.
Here is the information for the main card, which you can order on Prime PPV or PPV.com.
Date: Saturday, March 1
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Stream: Prime PPV and PPV.com
Location: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York
Davis-Roach is expected to begin their ring walks at 10pm ET.
Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach – Full Prime PPV Card
Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach: WBA lightweight title
Jose Valenzuela vs. Gary Antuanne Russell: Super lightweight
Alberto Puello vs. Sandor Martin: WBC super lightweight title
Yoenis Tellez vs. Julian Williams: Super welterweight
Jarrett Hurd vs. Johan Gonzalez: Middleweight
What Roach Needs to Do to Pull the Upset
Let’s be honest—Roach is justifiably a huge underdog. He’s fought Davis twice in the amateurs and lost decisions in both fights. As a pro, he has never faced an opponent on Davis’ level.
Roach also hasn’t shown the kind of punching power that would convince fans he’ll be able to hurt the lightweight champion. If Roach is going to have success, he’ll need to establish his jab—which is easier said than done against a fighter like Davis, whose lack of height often works in his favor against taller opponents.
Roach also has to prove that he can take a shot without wilting, as most of Davis’ opponents have done in his 30 pro fights. Lastly, Roach has to frustrate Davis. Whether it’s through wrestling, roughhousing, or unpredictable movement, he’s got to bring some anxiety to Davis’ performance.
It may sound overly simplistic, but Davis needs to be himself. He’s as physically gifted as any fighter in the sport, and his fight IQ is exceptional.
He starts slow while getting an opponent’s timing, but once he has it, he’s on a seek-and-destroy mission. If there is anything he must be careful of in this fight, it’s falling into the trap of being too friendly and familiar with Roach.
The two men seemingly have a good relationship. Davis showed immense respect for Roach’s mother at the presser on Thursday.
If Davis stays focused on the task, he will have this finished by the sixth round.
Here is a look at the boxing schedule for 2025 following Tank vs. Roach.
Boxing Schedule 2025
Friday, March 7, 2025
Location: Royal Albert Hall, London, GB
Time: 1:00 PM (ET)
The Ring Welterweight Championship: (c) Natasha Jonas vs. Lauren Price
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Location: Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Australia
Time: 3:00 am ET
Keith Thurman vs. Brock Jarvis
Michael Zerafa vs. Erkan Ay
Saturday, March 15, 2025
Location: M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool, GB
Time: 1:00 PM (ET)
WBA World Featherweight Championship: (c) Nick Ball vs. TJ Doheny
Sunday, March 16, 2025
Location: The Theater at MSG, New York City, US
Time: 9:00 PM (ET)
Callum Walsh vs. Dean Sutherland
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Location: Fontainebleau, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, US
Time: 9:00 PM (ET)
WBO World Welterweight Championship: (c) Mikaela Mayer vs. Sandy Ryan
Bruce “Shoo Shoo” Carrington vs. Enrique Vivas
Saturday, April 12, 2025
Location: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
Time: 8:00 PM (ET)
The Ring Welterweight Championship: (c) Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis
Tyson Fury has surprisingly returned to The Ring Magazine’s heavyweight rankings at the number one spot despite announcing his retirement from boxing last month, as speculation grows about a potential super-fight with Anthony Joshua, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The 36-year-old “Gypsy King” stunned the boxing world in January when he proclaimed his fifth retirement from the sport following his second consecutive defeat to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk, but The Ring’s latest rankings suggest the publication isn’t convinced by Fury’s decision to hang up his gloves.
Fury has been placed at the top of the heavyweight rankings behind only Usyk, who holds the WBC, WBA and WBO titles and is recognised as The Ring’s heavyweight champion. His inclusion puts him ahead of IBF champion Daniel Dubois and the resurgent Joseph Parker, who occupy the second and third spots respectively.
Meanwhile, Joshua has received a significant boost in the same rankings, climbing two places from seventh to fifth despite not having fought since his knockout defeat to Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September.
The British-Nigerian’s rise comes as a result of losses suffered by Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole on the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol II undercard in Saudi Arabia last weekend.
Fury had been removed from the list after his announced retirement but his latest presence in the rankings comes amid growing speculation about a potential comeback. Saudi boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh is keen to lure the former WBC champion back for a long-awaited showdown with Joshua.
Speaking to The Stomping Ground, Alalshikh revealed; “I want Tyson (next for Joshua). I spoke with him, but I don’t talk about boxing.
“I just check about his health and his family. I think maybe he’ll return. Yes, (I think he will return), I hope so.”
While Fury has remained silent on the prospect of a ring return since his retirement announcement, Joshua has expressed interest in facing his long-time rival, acknowledging the commercial and sporting appeal of such a contest.
“I feel like it’s the best fight (for me),” Joshua told iFL TV.
“People might say Parker, people might say – I don’t know. But I think Fury, commercially, is a great fight and it’s a great man’s fight as well. So I think it makes sense.
“You could say it’s been years in the making. But listen, the heavyweight division has been thriving. And why I say it’s probably still a great fight is as I said Parker is, for me, a great story of someone that never gives up. And the thing is, there is going to be one winner and one loser. And there’s going to be blood shed. And it ain’t gonna be mine.”
Fury was removed from all four major sanctioning body rankings last month after announcing his retirement in a brief social media video where he stated; “Hi everybody, I’m going to make this short and sweet. I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing, it has been a blast, I’ve loved every single minute of it.”
Should Fury decide to return, a blockbuster clash with Joshua would undoubtedly be the biggest in British boxing history and a defining moment for both fighters’ legacies, regardless of the outcome.
Anthony Joshua has risen two places in the latest Ring Magazine heavyweight rankings.
The Watford powerhouse hasn’t stepped foot in the ring since being flattened by Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September.
However, he has moved up from No.7 to No.5 in the heavyweight top 10 following Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole’s defeats last weekend on the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol II undercard.
Zhang was stopped by a sickening body shot from Agit Kabayel in the sixth round of their WBC ‘interim’ heavyweight clash.
Meanwhile, Bakole got knocked out by a clubbing blow from Joseph Parker that caught him on the top of the head.
The Congolese heavyweight stepped in to replace Daniel Dubois on two days’ notice and embarked on a 3,800 mile trip from Congo to Saudi Arabia that required three connecting flights.
Bakole received significant praise from the boxing fraternity for taking the fight despite the seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against him, although the defeat did cost him dearly.
Not only did he lose the IBF final eliminator status for his upcoming clash with Efe Ajagba but he also dropped one place in the Ring Magazine rankings.
Bakole was placed No.6 in the previous ratings while Zhang was ranked No.4.
As a result of their recent setbacks, Bakole fell to No.7 and Zhang plummeted to No.6.
Kabayel rose from No.5 to No.4 after his career-best win, with AJ slotting in one position behind the German.
Parker and every other heavyweight remained in their original positions.
Ring Magazine heavyweight rankings
Position
Boxer
Champion
Oleksandr Usyk
1
Tyson Fury
2
Daniel Dubois
3
Joseph Parker
4
Agit Kabayel (up 1)
5
Anthony Joshua (up 2)
6
Zhilei Zhang (down 2)
7
Martin Bakole (down 1)
8
Filip Hrgovic
9
Fabio Wardley
10
Efe Ajagba
Oleksandr Usyk, the WBC, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion is recognised as champion by The Ring while Tyson Fury remains at No.1 despite seemingly being retired.
Fury was removed from all four major sanctioning body rankings last month when he took to social media to announce he was hanging up his gloves for a fourth time.
“Hi everybody, I’m going to make this short and sweet,” Fury said shortly after suffering a second consecutive defeat to Usyk.
“I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing, it has been a blast, I’ve loved every single minute of it and I’m going to end with this; Dick Turpin wore a mask.”
Dubois holds onto his No.2 spot, as does No.3 Parker while No.8 Filip Hrgovic, No.9 Fabio Wardley and No.10 Efe Ajagba complete the list.
There are minor changes to the Ring Magazine pound-for-pound rankings as well with Bivol and Beterbiev switching places at No.4 and No.5 after Bivol avenged his defeat to his fellow countryman last weekend to be crowned undisputed light heavyweight champion.
Three-division undisputed champion Claressa Shields has received some good news in her ongoing battle to disprove a positive test for marijuana.
In an email sent to Dmitriy Salita, Shields’ promoter, the WBO founding president Luis Batista Salas agreed to grant Shields a stay of proceedings, which will allow her team time to make its case with the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission and in the meantime avoid a penalty from the WBO – including the possibility of Shields being stripped of its title.
Shields won a unanimous decision over Danielle Perkins in her hometown of Flint, Michigan, on February 2, capturing the women’s heavyweight undisputed championship. But she was later suspended by the Michigan commission after her post-fight drugs test came up positive for marijuana. The WBO subsequently issued a “show cause notice” that gave Shields 30 days to clear her case.
Thursday’s WBO communication to Salita was an acknowledgment that Shields is waiting on a meeting date with the Michigan commission to seek a revocation of her suspension and an agreement on the part of the sanctioning body to pause any judgments against Shields in the interim.
“Having considered the arguments raised by Team Shields, this Committee hereby grants the request for a stay of proceedings,” wrote Salas.
The WBO’s decision comes on the heels of Monday’s public statements from Michael Mazzulli, the head of the Association of Boxing Commissions, who told BoxingScene that the Michigan commission’s actions were “overkill” and advised against stripping Shields of her belt.
“You can blame a system that’s broken within the state of Michigan,” Mazzulli told BoxingScene.
Shields, 29, is suspended from fighting only in Michigan, but she is seeking full exoneration. She maintains that she has never used marijuana, and on Thursday she appeared on the “Tamron Hall Show” to discuss her case.
“The place reeked of marijuana,” Shields said of the Dort Financial Center after her win over Perkins. “And then, before I got to do the mouth swab, everybody was hugging and kissing me in Flint. Everybody there, my cousins, sister, brother, friends – everybody was hugging and kissing me. And I know some boxers don’t stop and greet the fans, but I’m not one of them. I hugged and kissed everybody back.”
Hall essentially made Shields’ case for her, citing a study published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology that asserts inhaling second-hand marijuana smoke can lead to false positives in testing. Shields says she also submitted to a urine test that came back negative for marijuana.
“I guess I’m just guilty and I don’t get to prove my innocence,” Shields said. “I’m just already guilty.”
Anthony Joshua knows the ‘menace’ of Joseph Parker and will not want a rematch, says the New Zealander’s promoter David Higgins.
Joshua watched from ringside as Parker produced a ruthless knockout victory over Martin Bakole, who stepped in as a replacement opponent after Daniel Dubois was ruled out through illness.
Parker’s promoter Higgins believes the Dubois vs Parker fight might not be rescheduled, but has raised doubts about whether Joshua will take a rematch with the Kiwi instead.
“Joe would jump in with AJ in a heartbeat but I reckon AJ wouldn’t take the fight,” Higgins told Sky Sports. That’s my view.
“I think AJ is a nice guy and he’s had a good career but I think in recent times he hasn’t looked comfortable in the ring, particularly in that last fight. He didn’t want to be there.
“The way that Joseph is fighting, it would be a very risky call by him and his handlers to jump in the ring with Parker. Most boxers take the lower risk option, except for Joseph Parker. He takes the highest risk and the toughest option.”
Parker was beaten on points by Joshua in their first fight in 2018, but the former WBO world champion is enjoying the most impressive spell of his career, with recent wins over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Bakole.
“I think fight by fight, the last three, Joseph is establishing more credibility, more menace and fight by fight, they will all be going, ‘This fighter is dangerous.’
“After the other day, they’ll all be going, ‘He really is dangerous.”
“We’ll see what happens next. We’ll wait and see what the Saudi authorities and Queensberry offer next and we’ll go from there.
“Joseph would like to get back in the ring as soon as possible. Four months. He doesn’t mess around, he just wants to keep going.
“Anywhere, it would be ideal in the summer.”
The WBO announced Parker as the mandatory challenger for Oleksandr Usyk after his win over Martin Bakole.
But Usyk, who has confirmed that he will retire after two more fights, is expected to take a rematch against Dubois for the undisputed world heavyweight titles.
According to Higgins, Anthony Joshua is fearful of the form of Joseph Parker and will not accept a rematch.
British-born Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua has been accused of not wanting a massive fight.
According to the New Zealander’s promoter David Higgins, Joshua is aware of Joseph Parker’s threat and will not desire a rematch.
As Daniel Dubois was sidelined by illness, Parker defeated Martin Bakole a replacement via brutal knockout while Joshua watched from the ringside. .
Anthony Joshua vs Joseph Parker
Higgins, Parker’s promoter, is sceptical that Joshua will accept a rematch with the Kiwi.
With recent victories over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang, and Bakole, the former WBO world champion is having the best run of his career, despite Parker losing to Joshua on points in their first fight in 2018.
Following his victory over Martin Bakole, the WBO declared Parker Oleksandr Usyk’s mandatory opponent.
To regain the undisputed world heavyweight titles, Usyk is anticipated to rematch Dubois.
Joshua is expected to return to the ring later this year with his promoter working on a fight against the retired Tyson Fury.
