Laila Ali Addresses Claressa Shields Challenge and Future in Boxing
Laila Ali continues to play coy about potentially stepping into the ring with Claressa Shields.
During an interview with “Good Day D.C.”, Ali was asked about the possibility of facing Shields. She recalled a similar question from the Netflix special she hosted between Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor, noting that she had responded she would “think about it” if offered $15–$20 million.
She went on to explain that after the viral moment, Shields inserted herself into the conversation, sparking an even larger discourse. The 47-year-old retired legend emphasized that her current focus is on her new cooking competition series, “Chef Grudge Match.”
“I will tell you this, right now I’m focused on this and everything else that I’m doing,” she shared.
“You will know my answer where I stand with boxing very soon.”
The host followed up by questioning Ali’s stance on legacy, referencing the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul bout and asking what that concept looks like for women in boxing.
“What’s amazing, and why I even said I would think about it, is because there isn’t any other women. I’ve been out of the ring for almost 20 years, and all I needed to do was say I’ll think. Now, I’m getting multiple, multi-million dollar offers,” she admitted.
“I was like, wow, imagine if I came back to boxing and break that ceiling for women and raise the bar for them again. Just like I did the first time when I was boxing. There’s not going to be, anytime soon, another woman that can ask for that money and receive it. When you talk about legacy, that could be a part of my legacy. But, there’s so much I’d have to consider to prepare for something like that and stop all the other things I’m doing. Not sure if I want to do that. You’ll be knowing really soon. Because I’m going to answer that question on my time and the way I want to do it — because if anyone is calling the shots, it’s going to be me.”
