Boxing is a sport that focuses on an individual’s career achievements. During a guest appearance on the ‘Worth a Million Dollaz’s Game’ podcast, the women’s undisputed heavyweight champion of the world Claressa Shields took a jab at Laila Ali’s boxing legacy.
Shields had already challenged Ali to a boxing match as the two had engaged in a long public feud. During her appearance on Million Dollaz Worth of Game, Shields stated her opinion about Laila Ali not being the best boxer of her era.
Shields went on to name the person she believes to be the best female boxer of that particular era. Shields doubts Ali’s position, but she stands firm when she says she is the best boxer of her era.
Ali and Shields are currently at odds, but there was a time when they shared a bond. After Claressa Shields won her first Olympic gold medal in 2012, she reached out to Ali, and Ali shared some great career advice.
Ali told Shields that the 168-pound weight class she fights in has no competition there, and she won’t make much money. Ali recommended that once Shields turns pro, she should drop down in weight and compete in one of the lower weight classes.
After Shields turned pro, she kept in touch with Ali. The relationship between Shields and Ali took a drastic turn for the worse when Ali made an appearance at a New York radio station to promote her cookbook.
During her promotional stop as a guest on ‘The Breakfast Club,’ Ali was asked if she would ever return to boxing, and she responded by saying she hasn’t seen anyone there that inspires her to come back.
Claressa Shields took offense to Ali’s statement as she continued to call Ali out on YouTube and social media. Rumors of a potential boxing match have begun to circulate, but nothing concrete has yet materialized.
Back in October 1999, Laila Ali made her pro debut by stopping April Fowler in the first round. Over the years Ali won the IBA, WIBA and WIBF belts. In June 2005, Ali stopped Erin Toughill in the 3rd round and won the first WBC female super-middleweight world title.
Two years later, Laila Ali would step inside the squared circle one last time as she stopped Gwendolyn O’Neil in the first round. After retiring from pro boxing, Laila Ali (24-0, 21 KOs) was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2021.
Now 47-year-old Laila Ali is being asked to sign up to take part in what would be the biggest women’s boxing match of the year. Claressa Shields challenged, trolled and, during her recent podcast appearance, insulted Ali.
“I’m going to take the high road like Terence Crawford and say she was the best of her era,” Shields said. “Actually, I’m not going to lie, Ann Wolfe was the best in her era, and I’m the best in this era. Laila Ali is just Muhammad Ali’s daughter.”
Shields went on to say that if they had fought, she believes Ann Wolfe would have knocked out Laila Ali. Ann Wolfe (24-1, 16 KOs) is known for delivering the most devastating one-punch knockout in women’s boxing history, when she knocked out 6ft 6in Vonda Ward in the first round.
When talking about Ann Wolfe, Laila Ali said plans were in place to fight Wolfe, but Wolfe pulled out because she wasn’t offered enough money. Ali missed her opportunity to fight Wolfe, but the question is, will she accept big money to fight three-division undisputed world champion Claressa Shields?
During her prime, Laila Ali was good at controlling the distance with a strong, accurate jab. The jab, the one-two, her straight right hand, well-placed body shots and her combination punches were some of the weapons that made Ali dangerous.
Claressa Shields is a pure boxing technician who has all the tools. She is a very athletic boxer who has the ring intelligence, hand speed, footwork, excellent punch placement, and when she is ready to get aggressive, she is able to push forward and hit her opponent with a multitude of sharp combinations.
As a fantasy fight, this is a great matchup, but from a reality standpoint, this fight probably won’t happen. Ali is a true fighting champion, but for a person to be retired for 18 years and then come back and be competitive against a boxer of the caliber of Claressa Shields is a bit ambitious and unrealistic.
Last updated on 17/10/2025
