Is The Goofiest Woman of All Time Claressa Shields? Women’s Boxing is full of pioneers such as Laila Ali, Holly Holm, Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor who have helped pioneer the sport of Women’s Boxing by building platforms for other female athletes to achieve their own goals in Combat Sports.

While these female fighters have used their platforms to empower, Claressa Shields has used hers to diminish the accomplishments of others in an attempt to push a false narrative that she is somehow the greatest female boxer of all time.

Claressa Shields brash personality often argues with fans in an attempt to "prove she is above others" in terms of accomplishments. Undefeated as a professional boxer and a 2x Olympic Gold Medalist (first two years Women’s Boxing was included) — fans often point to the lack of competition she has faced during her career and her unwillingness to move down in weight categories to make the biggest fights possible.

Instead of moving into the more competitive divisions of light welterweight and welterweight, Claressa has found herself competing in the Heavyweight division where there is a total of only 18 active fighters (in the world), which allows her to promote "World Championship fights" against part time boxers, many of whom have had less than 8 professional Boxing fights.

Unable to secure any major boxing fights that are relevant to fight fans, Claressa Shields was forced into becoming an MMA athlete. Despite other cross over stars like Holly Holm and Amanda Serrano having success in the sport of MMA, Claressa Shields has struggled. Holly Holm became UFC Champion after only 4 years of MMA training, and Amanda Serrano is currently undefeated in MMA, however Shields couldn’t make her originally contracted weight of 155 pounds in her PFL Saudi Arabia debut against Kelsey DeSanti and forced her opponent to accept a catchweight of 165lbs the week of the fight —or have the match canceled, following an embarrassing loss to MMA journey woman Abigail Montes (4-4 record).

Shields who maintains a body fat % estimated to be in the high 30% range has further embarrassed herself by calling for a "Super Fight" with MMA Icon Cris Cyborg. Cyborg who has won every belt in the sport of MMA including the PFL, Bellator MMA, UFC, Invicta FC, and Strikeforce Championships currently has a professional boxing record of 2-0. Despite the obvious difference in experience (Cyborg has no amateur boxing background) MMA’s Royal Champ Cris Cyborg offered her willingness to accept the fight against Shields, only for Claressa to find multiple ways to turn refuse the fight publicly.

With less than 2 years of Boxing experience, Cyborg has spent a majority of her standup career training Muay Thai a martial art that allows for the use of Elbows, Kicks, and knees, alongside her Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Wrestling training (all illegal moves in Boxing).

Cris Cyborg’s last fight was at 145lbs while Claressa Shields last fight was at 175lbs. With a 30 pound weight discrepancy Cyborg originally pushed to make the boxing fight at 147lbs insisting Claressa Shields could diet and bring down her bodyfat percentage in an effort to make the weight safely and healthy. Shields has refused to negotiate on the weight instead demanding Cyborg move up to 154 pounds to make the fight happen. Cyborg who eventually agreed to 154 pounds with the stipulation that the bout takes place in 8oz gloves and that a dehydration limit of 158lbs could be agreed upon. Rather than accepting the terms offered, Claressa Shields publicly stated she would prefer to face a 42 year old Danielle Perkins, a fighter with only 5 professional fights instead.

With Claressa Shields unwilling to diet and drop her body fat percentage in an effort to make a big time superfight that fans would care about, Cyborg offered another solution; an open weight - no weigh in Mixed Martial Arts bout inside the PFL cage.

With both Cris Cyborg and Claressa Shields signed to the same MMA promoter the fight would be an easy bout to finalize.

Claressa who has a combined Pro/Amateur boxing record of 79 wins and only 1 loss wanted to have a significant experience AND weight advantage over the 40 year old Cris Cyborg who only has 2 professional boxing fights, however publicly refused any offer to compete against her in MMA despite Claressa Shields now entering her 5th year of MMA training.

Claressa Shields is 10 years younger than Cris Cyborg and over 30 pounds heavier, but refuses an MMA fight where the bout would start standing. Despite calling herself “The Greatest Woman of All Time” the self proclaimed "GWOAT" who has called for boxing fights against men such as Jake Paul and Keith Thurman does not feel confident enough wearing 4oz gloves to fight Cris Cyborg inside of the cage.

Claressa Shields is quickly finding herself on an island by herself in the sport of Boxing, not because of her talents but because of her unwillingness to sacrifice and make the big fights the fans want to see. While fighters like Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are doing the work to make the biggest fights in the sport, Claressa is putting herself in the least competitive divisions and making fights that don’t interest even the most hardcore of boxing fans.

Despite an undefeated record many fans feel Claressa’s lasting legacy will be ducking the real competition in the sport of Boxing and lacking the consistency of hard work to make any impact in the sport of MMA leaving many fans to wonder if...

The “GWOAT” really stands for "Goofiest Woman Of All Time" as it pertains to her legacy in combat sports.