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.”

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.

After undisputed world champion boxer Claressa Shields was suspended from competing in Michigan for testing positive for marijuana, her promoter Dmitriy Salita says he’s confident she will be cleared of wrongdoing once the investigation concludes.

A statement from Dmitriy Salita:

“Claressa Shields has built her career on hard work, discipline, and an unwavering commitment to clean competition. She stands by her record, her historic achievements, and her integrity as a world champion. She has been an inspiration to countless men and women throughout the United States and throughout the world since she was a teenage Olympian.

This is a pending matter with the Michigan commission and, as such, I cannot share much more. However, we are 100-pecent confident that Claressa Shields will be vindicated when this matter concludes, and all the evidence is heard. One thing I can say with confidence, Claressa Shields did not and does not ingest illicit drugs of any kind including marijuana. And there is nothing in this instance that will tarnish her still growing legacy.”

Dmitriy Salita

According to Reuters, Shields, 29, the undisputed champion in three weight classes, has been suspended from competing in the state by the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission after an oral fluid sample was taken after her bout against Danielle Perkins on Feb. 2.

–>Claressa Shields suspended, under investigation in Michigan after positive marijuana test, per reports

The World Boxing Organization has requested a “Show notice” from Shields to provide an explanation.

The WBO does not have the authority to suspend boxers, but the Michigan Commission is conducting its own investigation to determine whether disciplinary action is necessary.

The Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency tested Shields and Perkins under the World Boxing Council Clean Boxing Program.

Desperate Claressa Shields Pens One Line After Unexpected Support Amid Michigan Suspension

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields isn’t happy about how she has been treated. You see, after her victory over Danielle Perkins earlier this month in Michigan, Shields tested positive for marijuana, samples for which were taken via mouth swab. The Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission immediately suspended the unbeaten boxer.

“Ms. Shields’ conduct as a licensed professional boxer constitutes an immediate threat to the integrity of professional boxing, the public interest, and the welfare and safety of professional athletes,” the Michigan commission wrote in a statement. Meanwhile, the president of the Association of Boxing Commissions Michael Mazzuli condemned the move.

He labeled the statement from the Michigan Commission “overkill” while demanding Michigan present its findings. “We would like to know what the amount of marijuana in the system was – the nanogram level,” Mazzuli said. “My understanding is it was a swab test – therefore, there is no nanogram level.”

“We feel the fighter should not be stripped of any title. In fact, numerous states and tribal commissions no longer test for marijuana and mine [the Mohegan Sun (Connecticut) commission] is one of them. The sport has to change with the industry and today’s standards,” he added. Sometime after the report, Shields hopped on to share her thoughts.

Shields expressed her gratitude for Mazzuli’s support. “Thank you! This is not how you treat a 2x Olympic Champ & 17x World champion,” she wrote. Meanwhile, Shields’ manager has also commented on the matter.

Claressa Shields’ situation is absurd, claims her manager

Claressa Shields’ manager, Mark Taffet, has slammed the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission for calling the undefeated champion “an imminent threat to the integrity of professional boxing” over a marijuana-related suspension. Taffet called the statement “absurd” and criticized the commission for making such claims before a proper hearing. “Harmful, dangerous, horrifically inappropriate statement by a government [agency] prior to a hearing. I am incredulous,” he wrote on Facebook.

Shields, who became boxing’s first undisputed women’s heavyweight champion after defeating Danielle Perkins on February 2, denied using marijuana. Performance-enhancing drug expert Victor Conte suggested the failed test “likely would have come from second-hand smoke in the arena.” Marijuana is not considered a performance-enhancing drug and is not banned in most U.S. states. Taffet questioned Michigan’s process, stating, “We respect the process … why don’t they?” as the controversy continues to unfold.

Claressa Shields isn’t letting any druggie narratives fly about her! The undisputed world champion was iced out of her sport in Michigan earlier this week, per ESPN. The state’s Unarmed Combat Commission moved to suspend and investigate Shields after a saliva swab tested positive for marijuana. Now, the boxer is denying that she ever smoked and clearing the air among her supporters by sharing her two test results.

Details On Claressa Shields’ Michigan Boxing Suspension

ESPN reports that officials took Shields’s “oral fluid sample” in early February after her win against Danielle Perkins. At the time, the test indicated the presence of weed–a banned substance in competitive sports. On Thursday (February 20), the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission dragged Claressa Shields in their statement.

“Ms. Shields’ conduct as a licensed professional boxer constitutes an immediate threat to the integrity of professional boxing, the public interest, and the welfare and safety of professional athletes,” it reportedly stated.

While the Unarmed Combat Commission weighs whether it will take disciplinary action, the World Boxing Organization demands a formal explanation from Shields. Mind you, Claressa is a BIG DAWG in professional boxing. She is the only boxer to hold every major world title, says ESPN, from the WBA to the WBC, IBF, and WBO.

Boxer Shares Timeline Of Test Results In Social Media Clap Backs

Now that we understand what’s going on let’s get into Claressa clapping back at the marijuana allegations. She seemingly started addressing bubbling reports of her failed test last week. On Valentine’s Day, she replied to a tweet about the topic, writing, “NICE TRY HATERS  DON’T Ever try and put no bullshit on me. CLEAN ATHLETES WIN,” she wrote. In a separate tweet, she seemingly labeled the drug results dispute a lie.

However, Claressa Shields has been going in the last two days about her alleged innocence. On the 20th, she spoke about why she won’t defend a lie. “On my soul can’t nobody tarnish my image. It’s a temporary suspension til I go to trial for this very small amount of marijuana. I’m not SUSPENDED from Boxing, I’m not stripped of my titles. I’m just waiting. Also, I can’t defend a lie! Do your research,” Shields tweeted.

The boxing champion thanked her supporters the following day for standing by her. She also retweeted a supportive statement from her boxing promoter, Dmitriy Salita, who denied that Claressa uses illicit drugs of any kind.

Late Friday (February 21), Claressa Shields hopped over to Instagram with her drug test results, a timeline, and an explanation. She uploaded the documents about the oral swab test, taken on the third, and the urine test, which was collected on the eighth. As mentioned, the saliva swab yielded a positive result, while the urine showed a negative result. In her caption, she wrote:

“A urine tests — the most reliable testing method — can detect weed for up to 30 days in your urine, and came back negative. The moment I received the saliva test result, I acted immediately to schedule a follow-up urine test to ensure complete clarity. These results confirm that I’ve been clean and in full compliance the entire time. I’ve always competed clean, and I stand by that. I take my integrity seriously inside and outside the ring.”

While things are getting heated regarding the ring, the same can be said for Claressa Shields’ life outside it!  Though this type of heat seems more than welcomed! The champion and her new bae, Remy Ma’s estranged husband Papoose, were recently spotted still going strong in Hawai’i.