Up until Alycia Baumgardner called on Claressa Shields for a fight, no one fathomed of such possibilities. However, now both the fighters have expressed their readiness to fight each other. While doing so, they have ensured that their trash-talk is A-game. Shields, the ‘GWOAT’, as she titles herself, even went as far as to predict the results of their fight.

In October last year, a fan nudged Baumgardner to clash against Shields. Without any qualms, the Detroit-based fighter called on Shields. For the GWOAT, such provocation came as a surprise because of their previous friendly relations with one another. While Shields expressed her admiration for the undisputed super featherweight champion, the callout put a dent in their relationship, and soon things got ugly with social media sparring and public run-ins. A fight between the two thus became a public demand despite the weight discrepancy between the two. The same demand was recently put to Shields by a fan on X and answered she did.

“Pure Facts!”
On her X, the 28-year-old responded to an account that belonged to a fan who suggested that a fight between the two be made. They predicted that the fight would be the biggest in women’s boxing today before concluding their claim as “Pure Facts.”

https://x.com/Claressashields/status/1758599660745241000?s=20

While this was in no possible way a dig toward both the fighters and did not pick any sides, Claressa Shields seemed to be offended by the neutrality. For her, the fight is one-sided. Her confidence was so strong that she even considered that a potential fight against ‘The Bomb’ was not that big a deal for her.

Responding to the post, the undisputed middleweight champion wrote, “And when I beat tf out of her [evil smile emoji] then what!? It’s gonna be a one sided a** whoopin AND YOU KNOW IT!!! And it’s other girls I could fight that would be bigger! PURE FACTS!”

After competing in two MMA fights (winning one), Shields is geared up for her return to the Octagon on February 24th, facing Florida-based fighter Kelsey DeSantis. Recently, discussions about an MMA bout with Savanah Marshall have also gained traction. Shields may now focus on fights that can propel her up the ranks, rather than engaging in a bout solely as a response to a rift with a fellow competitor, that too from a lower-weight division.

However, if the latter course is still chosen, how would it come about? Claressa Shields answers that too

Claressa Shields vs. Alycia Baumgardner: Weight Struggles
29-year-old, Baumgardner rules the Featherweight class with an undisputed title. Sheilds on the other hand holds her reign of the same nature in the middleweight class. To make a fight between them happen, this weight difference is a bigger barrier than any other detail that one might think of. For Shields, however, a fight at any weight would be acceptable. While she leaves the decision to choose a weight for their fight with Baumgardner, Shields has one only demand: belts on the line.

In an X post, in the initial days of this back and forth, Shields wrote, “P4P #1 wins at any weight class. I’d 100% fight @alyciambaum at 147 154 or 160 or 168 as long as it’s a Belt or multiple belts on the line. You know I’m not hard to make a fight with.”

https://x.com/Claressashields/status/1735515144216514769?s=20

For Shields, this fight might not be her priority, for she never intended to fight Alycia Baumgardner. She considered her to be a close ally, and a fight between them was out of the question until Baumgardner sought it. Now it remains to be seen if a fight between the two sees the light of day.
Who’s side are you on for this fight – Alycia Baumgardner or Claressa Shields? Take your picks in the comments section below.