On July 11, Madison Sq. Backyard was house to a landmark occasion: an all-woman card the place 17 world championship belts had been on the road—a Guinness world file—headlined by Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano in the principle occasion. Taylor received the spherical by majority determination and retained her undisputed junior welterweight title.
The happenings within the ring weren’t all of the boxing world was speaking about. Laila Ali, simply thought of one of many biggest feminine boxers ever, was available for the fights. After the headliners, she was requested her ideas on the battle earlier than she was requested about the opportunity of a battle between her and Claressa Shields, a present champion fighter and draw and the one boxer in historical past, no matter gender, to carry main titles in three separate weight lessons within the 4 main boxing organizations.
For sure, Ali, who’s 47 and retired from boxing in 2007 with a 24-0 file, and Shields, 30, can be each an enormous draw and characterize the perfect of the perfect from their eras.
When informed there was a rumor she was going to return out of retirement to battle Shields, Ali responded, “The place’d that rumor come from? The rumor I heard was that I mentioned that except anyone had $15 or $20 million, don’t even name me about this. That’s all I heard!”
When it was prompt a promoter may make it occur, she continued, “Except anyone calls ME and says they’ve it, we’re not even going to have this dialog. I’m not attempting to return again and battle, but when anyone had been to supply that sort of cash I’d even have to consider it.”
As you may think about, phrases like that had been undoubtedly going to get to Shields, who made positive to reply again to Ali. The 2 have had a long-running beef; nonetheless, Shields used to discuss with Ali as her large sister and an inspiration. The youthful boxer claims that after comparisons between the 2 of them began, Ali stopped being in her nook–she additionally prompt that Ali was a bit overrated.
Ali, for her half, felt that a few of her feedback had been taken out of context, which precipitated Shields to begin questioning Ali’s legacy. For sure, they’re not pleasant proper now.
On a publish on X, Shields wrote, “What a terrific weekend of boxing! Actually motivated! Now @TheRealLailaAli. I’m the GREATEST NOW! Watch out what you ask for ! I’ve been desirous to make you eat your phrases! You not a greater boxer than me & at 175 I’ll put you in your again! BEEN READY FOR YOU!”
Whether or not these two will ever go head-to-head within the ring stays to be seen, however the world would undoubtedly pull as much as watch.
