Shields ‘seriously pursuing’ fight with Laila Ali

Claressa Shields’ promoter says there’s one fight in particular they have on their mind.

Fresh off of her unanimous decision win over the weekend, Claressa Shields is hoping to secure a fight she’s long be angling for — one against retired champion Laila Ali, the daughter of the legendary Muhammad Ali. Ali has been retired from professional boxing since 2007 but there’s long been tension between Shields and Ali, and that’s something Shields hopes to leverage into a big event.

Speaking to Sky Sports, promoter Dmitry Salita shared some thoughts on what’s to come for Shields.

“Following her historic win in Detroit, we’re focused on keeping her active and aligned with her mission - fighting the biggest and best. A matchup with Laila Ali would be a monumental moment in sports history: the daughter of the GOAT vs the GWOAT, two generational icons whose stories transcend boxing. That’s a fight we’re seriously pursuing.”

In recent interviews Ali hasn’t appeared to be specifically inclined to end her retirement to fight Shields, but money talks and if enough of it is thrown in her direction it is pretty clear that she’ll at least consider the idea.

For now Shields remains an unbeaten champion in search of a fight that will captivate audiences enough to turn it into a truly big event. Where that goes from here remains to be seen so we’ll have to see if any negotiations gain real traction here.