Claressa Shields — Biography
Claressa Maria Shields stands as a prominent figure in both professional boxing and mixed martial arts. Her boxing career is marked by an impressive collection of world championship titles across three different weight divisions. She has held the undisputed female light middleweight crown since March of 2021, previously possessing the undisputed female middleweight title from 2019 to 2020. Her reign also included unified WBC and IBF female super middleweight belts between 2017 and 2018. Notably, Shields holds a record for achieving championship status in two and then three weight classes with the fewest professional bouts. As of October 2022, her standing is recognized by leading boxing publications: BoxRec ranks her as the top active female middleweight globally, while ESPN and The Ring declare her the premier active female boxer, pound for pound. Her historical achievements extend to being one of only three boxers ever, regardless of gender, to simultaneously hold all four major world titles—WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO—in two separate weight categories. Before her professional endeavors, Shields enjoyed a stellar amateur career, earning gold medals in the women's middleweight division at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, a feat that makes her the first American boxer to secure consecutive Olympic medals. At the February 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, the youngest competitor in the 165 lb middleweight division, she emerged victorious. By May of that year, she had secured her spot in the 2012 Games, the inaugural Olympic appearance for women's boxing, and went on to become the first American woman to win Olympic gold in the sport. In 2018, the Boxing Writers Association of America recognized her contributions by naming her the Female Fighter of the Year. Beyond the boxing ring, Shields is also a professional mixed martial artist, actively competing in the Professional Fighters League. As of September 2024, her online presence includes approximately 997,000 followers on Instagram and 66,800 subscribers on her YouTube channel.
