Boxer Shields Promises KO In Detroit Return, Explains Overturned Pot Suspension

“I Didn’t Have a Perfect Mother”: Claressa Shields Bares Her Emotions in Mother’s Day Confession

“From the time I was nine years old till I was like 15 or 16, I loved my mom, but I didn’t like her.” Mother’s Day is a time when many celebrate the women who raised them, and for Claressa Shields, it’s no different, though the day also brings reflection. Despite a rocky past with her mother, Marcella Adams, Shields uses the occasion to honor how far they’ve both come and the strength they’ve found in their journey together.

This past Mother’s Day was no different! Their relationship is a complex mix, which is marked by significant challenges, specifically during her childhood in Flint, Michigan, where Shields has become a celebrated hero. ‘T-Rex’ grew up in a turbulent environment, like so many others in this sport, but her conditions were made worse by Adams’ battle with alcoholism. It contributed to a dysfunctional family, leading to Claressa Shields acknowledging she ‘loved her mother, but didn’t like her.’

Shields has claimed she believed that Adams would sell food stamps given to her family for drugs, which made their financial situation even more difficult growing up. Abuse has also been part of her life as a mere child by people around her, which ended up resulting in her getting sent to live with her grandmother until age ten. This betrayal led to her feeling abandoned and angry, which she later channeled into her boxing career.

Despite the issues between them, Adams played a crucial role in supporting Shields’ early boxing career, without which the sport might never have seen Claressa Shields conquer boxing the way she has done. Adams bought her daughter padded gloves, found a local gym, and drove Shields to the gym every day. This fueled Shields’ path to becoming the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing in 2012.

However, the healing of their relationship truly began after Shields had a difficult conversation with her mother about the abuse she had suffered as a child. Encouraged by her coach, Jason Crutchfield, Shields finally opened up about the abuse she suffered at the hands of Adams’ own boyfriend at the time. This dialogue allowed Shields to express how the childhood trauma affected her feelings toward her mother. “That conversation we had made me love my mama.”

By 2016, their relationship had vastly improved!

Claressa Shields will defend her undisputed heavyweight championship against Lani Daniels

This will be “T-Rex’s” second fight of the year and promises to be an epic.

The two-time Olympic champion will defend for the first time her undisputed heavyweight championship, which she won earlier this year,

The event on July 26th of this year will.be at the Little Cesars Arena in Detroit.. Her opponent, Lani “Smiling Assassin” Daniels, a 36-year-old boxer from New Zealand.

It was this arena that saw Shields become WBC heavyweight world champion in 2024. On that occasion, she took the crown from Vanessa Lepage by knocking her out in the second round.

The champion has an undefeated record of 16 wins, 3 of them by KO.
Daniels holds a record of 11-2-2 with 1 KO.

DETROIT, Mich. (WJRT) – Claressa Shields (16-0, 3 KOs) is set to defend her Undisputed Heavyweight World Championship against Lani Daniels (11-2-2, 1 KO) on July 26 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

Shields tells ABC12 that she and her team initially pursued a rematch with Hanna Gabriels, but negotiations fell through due to disagreements over which weight they would fight at.

“We offered her the money. She liked the money. She didn’t like the weight class.” Shields explained.

Shields currently holds all four heavyweight belts. Gabriels declined the fight when Shields wouldn’t drop to 160 or 168 pounds so Shields turned her attention to Lani Daniels, who holds two belts at light heavyweight.

Shields is coming off of a unanimous decision victory against Danielle Perkins at the Dort Financial Center, one that made her the first boxer ever to become a unanimous world champion in three different weight classes.

“I had to be very, very careful but also be very rough with her to show her that, ‘You may be bigger, but I am who I am,'” Shields said.

Shields is looking forward to her upcoming fight against Daniels, promising another dominant display.

“I plan to give Lani Daniels even more hell on July 26th,” Shields said.

Fans interested in purchasing tickets can do so using this link.

Who Is Claressa Shields Dating? Everything to Know About the Undefeated Professional Boxer

Claressa Shields is one of the best in the professional boxing world. The female boxer is only 29 years old, yet has already left an indescribable mark on the sport. Shields won her last match against Danielle Perkins, becoming the first ever undisputed women’s heavyweight champion. The boxer recently had a movie release, showcasing her origin story. The movie, titled “The Fire Inside” starred Ryan Destiny and covered everything from her humble beginnings through her rise to basketball fame.

Here’s everything you should know about the professional boxer’s life outside the sport.

Is Claressa Shields in a Relationship?

Shields’s personal life is subject to intense scrutiny and curiosity. She recently opened up about her relationship with rapper Papoose.

The boxer and rapper’s connection became public in late 2024 amid Papoose’s separation from his estranged wife, Remy Ma. Despite the public scrutiny, Shields has expressed profound appreciation for Papoose’s unique support and understanding. She described their bond as transformative, highlighting how his encouragement differs from her past experiences. Shields emphasized that Papoose is not only her partner but also her best friend, with whom she shares deep conversations and mutual respect. Initially, she preferred to keep their relationship private to avoid external judgment, aiming to cherish their moments away from public scrutiny. However, following Remy Ma’s public disclosure of their relationship, Shields and Papoose have chosen to embrace their partnership openly. Papoose has been visibly supportive, accompanying Shields during significant events, including her historic title fight in Flint, Michigan, where she became the first boxer—male or female—to achieve undisputed status in three different weight divisions. Their relationship, though emerging from complex circumstances, appears to be a source of mutual support and affection, with both expressing happiness in their union.

Papoose and Remy Ma’s previous dates back to 2004. The two married in 2016 before welcoming two children, a daughter Reminisce Mackenzie and a son Jayson Scott. The influential hip hop couple announced their split in 2024, both Remy Ma and Papoose posting screenshots on their official Instagram accounts.

Does Claressa Shields Have Children?

As of February 2025, Claressa Shields does not have biological children. In 2014, she attempted to adopt her cousin’s newborn daughter, Klaressa, and cared for her for eight months. However, Essentially Sports reports that due to legal challenges, she lost custody. This experience has influenced her views on motherhood, leading her to focus on inspiring young girls through her athletic achievements. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Shields expressed, “I don’t want to have kids. I want to inspire young girls and give them hope.”

Early Life and Career

Born on March 17, 1995, in Flint, Michigan, Shields started boxing at 11. Her father, Clarence “Bo Bo” Shields, introduced her to the sport and was actually a former amateur fighter. Shields says that growing up in Flint wasn’t easy. In her adolescence, she tackled poverty, death and abuse. Boxing served as a creative outlet for her.

“You put in the hard work, you win. You slack off, you lose. So when I say boxing is the only thing that loved me back, I put in so much heart into boxing, and guess what I did? I won,” she said on the sports podcast “The Art of Ward.” “I keep winning because it loves me how I love it.”

By the time she was 17 years old, Shields was the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. She trained for those 2012 Olympic Games under the leadership of Jason Crutchfield, who became a father figure in her life.

Claressa Shields’s Track Record

Since then, Shields has increasingly excelled in her professional boxing career. During the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, she won a gold medal. In 2019, Shields defeated Christina Hammer and made history, as the only boxer, male or female, to unify all four major boxing titles (the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO) in a single weight class. As of today, her record stands at a 16-0.

What Is Claressa Shields’s Net Worth?

Although Shields solidified her status as one of the best female boxers in the history of the sport, the boxers’ estimated net worth is around $1 million. Throughout her career, she has used her success to shine a light on the pay disparity in women’s sports, especially in boxing. After her 2025 historic boxing match, she spoke about wanting more profitable endorsements.

“I think I want to keep fighting and let it set in at the very end because I haven’t gotten all my endorsements and all my sponsorships yet,” she told Fight Sports. “I have some, but it’s like I’m waiting to get that $20 million from Adidas or $30 million from Under Armour and Nike. I’m looking to get there, you know? I want to represent all these companies, so I have some work to do.”

The post Who Is Claressa Shields Dating? Everything to Know About the Undefeated Professional Boxer appeared first on 21Ninety.

Shields puts her undisputed heavyweight title on the line against Daniels, who looks to once again become champion

Claressa Shields has her next fight confirmed for July 26, when she faces Lani Daniels at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The pair square off in a 10-round heavyweight bout with the undisputed crown on the line.

Unbeaten 30-year-old Shields (16-0, 3 KOs) of Flint, Michigan makes the first defense of her title. The two-time Olympic gold medalist became a three-division undisputed champion as a pro in February, defeating Danielle Perkins by unanimous decision.

Undisputed world heavyweight champion Claressa Shields will defend her belts against IBF light heavyweight champion Lani Daniels on 26 July in Detroit.

Shields, 30, became the first undisputed women’s heavyweight champion with a unanimous points win over fellow American Danielle Perkins in February.

The two-time Olympic champion added the IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight titles to her WBC belt with her 16th professional win.

Shields added to her undisputed titles in middleweight and light-middleweight to become boxing’s first undisputed world champion in three weight classes.

Shields was suspended by the Michigan commission in February after she tested positive for marijuana following her defeat of Perkins.

The suspension was dissolved after evidence showed procedural errors occurred during the collection of Shields’ samples.

New Zealand’s Daniels, 36, is a former IBF heavyweight champion.

(Reuters) -Undisputed heavyweight champion Claressa Shields will defend her belts against Lani Daniels on July 26, Shields announced in a post on X on Wednesday.

Undefeated Shields, 30, became the first undisputed women’s heavyweight champion with a unanimous decision win over fellow American Danielle Perkins in February, adding the IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight titles to her WBC belt.

The two-time Olympic champion’s 16th professional win also crowned her boxing’s first undisputed world champion in three weight classes, as she added to her undisputed titles in middleweight and light-middleweight.

New Zealand’s Daniels, 36, is the IBF light heavyweight champion and former IBF heavyweight champion who is unbeaten in her last nine bouts, which include two draws.

(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Saad Sayeed)