Boxing
Claressa Shields' five most impactful victories
Shields vs. Scott live on DAZN - Saturday
At 31, Claressa Shields is a future lock Hall of Famer and her credentials have affixed her in that projection for quite some time.
Having already captured an undisputed crown in three different weights (junior middleweight, middleweight and heavyweight), ‘The GWOAT’ returns to action this weekend in challenging for Kaye Scott’s WBA and WBC middleweight world titles. It all takes place Saturday night at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, and live on DAZN.
Shields (18-0, 3 KOs) moves back to middleweight after defending her undisputed heavyweight crown in a rematch against Franchon Crews Dezurn this past February. Meanwhile, Scott (5-1-1, 0 KOs) enters the bout having last eked past Olivia Curry by majority decision in December.
In anticipation of Shields’ latest in-ring test, DAZN News reminisces upon five of the living legend’s most impactful victories.
A rematch shutout for a full circle; Feb. 22, 2026
Claressa Shields launched her professional career against Franchon Crews Dezurn in a November 2016 super middleweight tilt, so their rematch nearly 10 years later marked a full circle in the prolific career of ‘The GWOAT.’ Before a capacity crowd in Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena, Shields pitched a shutout, easily asserting her sweet science brilliance and dominance over her rival to defend her undisputed heavyweight crown in style.
Producing heavyweight boxing herstory; February 2, 2025
After already enjoying undisputed reigns at junior middleweight and middleweight, Shields set her sights on the heavyweight division in July 2024, first creating a splash with a resounding second-round TKO of Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse. That victory gave her half the share of hardware in the women’s glamour division with the Dort Financial Center in her hometown of Flint, Michigan being the host venue to clash against an undefeated Danielle Perkins with a herstoric third undisputed crown at stake.
The defining moment of the fight came when Shields uncorked a picture-perfect pull counter right hand to drop Perkins late in the 10th and final round. It powered Shields' unanimous decision, making her the first boxer ever to clinch an undisputed world championship in three different weight classes in a feat only matched by Terence Crawford (super lightweight, welterweight, super middleweight) later that year.
Leaving no doubts against Savannah Marshall; September 10, 2022
That Savannah Marshall was holding on to an amateur victory over Shields a decade prior only motivated ‘The GWOAT’ that much more — so much so that she agreed to fight Marshall at the O2 Arena in the latter’s home country of England.
There in a hard-fought battle, Shields proved to be slicker and superior, outpointing her rival toward a unanimous decision. After witnessing Shields land 175 total punches to Marshall's 136, judges scored it 97-93, 97-93 and 96-94 all in Shields’ favor as the Flint, Michigan native increased her growing legend with a second undisputed middleweight reign. The win marked the first blemish on Marshall’s career, leaving no doubt who the best women’s boxer is.
Crowned undisputed at middleweight; April 13, 2019
The first time Shields won an undisputed middleweight world championship, it came against an undefeated German fighter in Christina Hammer. The Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey served as the backdrop to Shields outclassing Hammer, cruising toward a lopsided unanimous decision (98-91, 98-91, 98-92) in further support of the distance between herself and the rest of the women’s field.
Shields overcomes turbulence to have hand raised; June 22, 2018
A then 23-year-old Shields did enough to defeat Hanna Gabriels via unanimous decision in Detroit. However, the bout carried its fair share of static. During the first round, Gabriels uncorked a big right uppercut which made Shields timberrr and taste the canvas for the first and only time in her pro career.
Shields recovered from the flash knockdown to outbox Gabriels the remainder the of the fight to win the vacant WBA and inaugural IBF middleweight titles, nipping Vasiliy Lomachenko for the quickest to being a two-division world champion.
Shields notched the feat in six fights, while it took Lomachenko seven. Roughly a year-and-a-half later, Shields would defeat Ivana Habazin to swipe two junior middleweight world titles to again edge Lomachenko for being the quickest to a three-division crown. It took Loma 11 fights, while Shields did it in 10.
