Claressa Shields

Claressa Shields
Shields at Collision 2022
BornClaressa Maria Shields[1]
(1995-03-17) March 17, 1995 (age 29)
Flint, Michigan, U.S.
Height5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Division
Reach68 in (173 cm)[2]
StyleBoxing
TeamJackson Wink MMA Academy (2020–present) (MMA)[3]
Years active2017–present
Professional boxing record
Total15
Wins15
By knockout3
Mixed martial arts record
Total3
Wins2
By knockout1
By decision1
Losses1
By decision1
Other information
Boxing record from BoxRec
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Medal record
Representing the  United States
Women's amateur boxing
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Middleweight
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Middleweight
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2014 Jeju Middleweight
Gold medal – first place 2016 Astana Middleweight
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 2015 Toronto Light heavyweight

Claressa Maria Shields[1] (born March 17, 1995) is an American professional boxer and professional mixed martial artist. She has held multiple world championships in five weight classes, including the undisputed female light middleweight title since March 2021; the World Boxing Organization (WBO) female light heavyweight title and the World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Federation (WBF) female heavyweight titles since July 2024; WBC and IBF female super middleweight titles from 2017 to 2018. Shields currently holds the record for becoming a two and three division world champion in the fewest professional fights.[4] As of October 2022, she is ranked the world's best active female middleweight by BoxRec,[5] as well as the best active female boxer, pound for pound, by ESPN[6] and The Ring.[7]

Shields is one of only four boxers in history, female or male, to hold all four major world titles in boxing—WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO, in two weight classes.

In a decorated amateur career, Shields won gold medals in the women's middleweight division at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, making her the first American boxer to win consecutive Olympic medals.[8] Shields was the youngest boxer at the February 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials, winning the event in the 165 lb (75 kg) middleweight division.[9][10][11] In May, she qualified for the 2012 Games, the first year in which women's boxing was an Olympic event,[12] and went on to become the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing.[13] In 2018, the Boxing Writers Association of America named her the Female Fighter of the Year.[14]

Shields is also a professional mixed martial artist, competing in the Professional Fighters League.[15]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference fn was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Claressa Shields ("T-Rex") | Boxer Page". Tapology. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference mmaf20b was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Claressa Shields dominates Ivana Habazin, becomes fastest fighter to win titles in three weight classes". www.cbssports.com. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
  5. ^ "BoxRec: Female light middleweight ratings". BoxRec. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  6. ^ "Women's boxing pound-for-pound rankings: Where do Taylor and Serrano land?". ESPN. October 22, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  7. ^ "The Ring Women's Ratings". The Ring. September 8, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference auto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference oriordan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference usatoday was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Barnas, Jo-Ann. "Flint boxer Claressa Shields takes next step toward Olympics on Friday." [permanent dead link‍] Detroit Free Press, May 10, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
  12. ^ Barnas, Jo-Ann. "Flint boxer Claressa Shields, 17, qualifies for Olympics." Detroit Free Press, May 18, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  13. ^ Maese, Rick (August 12, 2012). "Claressa Shields wins only gold medal for U.S. boxing at London Olympics, and the first by a woman". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  14. ^ Santoliquito, Joseph (December 17, 2018). "Claressa Shields Is The BWAA's 2018 Female Fighter of the Year". boxingwriters. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference mmaf20 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).