Claressa Shields is the self-proclaimed “GWOAT” or Greatest Woman Of All Time in combat sports. She sought to prove that further by becoming a two-combat sport athlete.
However, the undisputed boxing champion logged her sophomore MMA fighter effort during the Professional Fighter’s League Championship and came up short.
Abigail Montes defeated Claressa Shields by split decision at the 2021 #PFLChampionship
It was the first loss of Shields' professional fighting career. pic.twitter.com/PPTLjpe40l
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 28, 2021
First “L”
Shields (1-1 MMA) unfortunately lost a split decision to Abigail Montes (3-0). But Shields was game the whole night in the back-and-forth affair.
However, every boxer’s biggest weakness, the ground game, and a lack of experience fighting off her back in the crucial Round 3 ultimately cost Shields the fight.
@jakepaul When u fight a real active elite boxer then u can speak but until then take your panties out a bunch. You’re more emotional than her ATP. Real WINNERS & CHAMPIONS take “L” as lessons and @Claressashields is greater than you will ever be. Ur embarrassing u n ur wife sis https://t.co/XDyYC6nBHB
— Franchón Crews-Dezurn (@TheHHDiva) October 28, 2021
Shields had not lost anything combat sports-related since her amateur boxing loss to Savannah Marshall when she was 17. Shields is now a decorated 26-year-old with two Olympic gold medals and an undefeated 11-0.
“I loss a split decision, I didn’t get my ass whooped 🤣 I also improved. All I’m going to do is go back to the drawing board and keep learning. No one said this journey was going To be easy. MMA is new to me, I’m fighting on a world stage after only 9 months of training. #blessed
“The difference in last night was I’ve never had to fight or even train in a cage so damn slippery. It’s all learning & just different from boxing. I did a lot of things right last night. I just loss a split decision.”
Troll Gang
Immediately, the troll of all trolls in combat sports, Jake Paul, took to social media to congratulate Abigail Montes while coming for Claressa Shields.
The two have had a war of words through social media, and Paul couldn’t wait to capitalize on Shields’ first MMA L.
I love karma @Claressashields,
Congrats Abigail Montes! Someone get her a Twitter! pic.twitter.com/gRTqKLZt8A
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) October 28, 2021
“I love karma @claressashields, Congrats Abigail Montes! Someone get her a Twitter!
“The truth hurts but it’s necessary. Clarissa [sic] Shields is a loser. In MMA, and even more so with her prima donna attitude. The fake always get exposed. Losses come when anger and hate take over. Just ask Rousey and McGregor. She spent more time berating Jake Paul than learning Jiu Jitsu. She’s never been a big draw and unfortunately for her she never will be. Amanda Serrano (the GWOAT) though, has 30 KOs in 42 fights. 2-0 in MMA, both wins by submission. Congrats Abigail Montes on the win.”
Ouch. Paul held nothing back, even dragging former UFC champions Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey in the process.
Clap Back
Shields clapped back when she heard the chatter.
“😂 this is funny. You come running when I lose a split decision in a while new world mma but never even once said ‘congrats on all you’ve done and aspire to do.’ 2 things that remain Jake, I still fight better than you & you won’t accomplish 10% of what I have in boxing or life
“Unlike Jake I fought a real mma fighter, he has yet to face a real boxer in boxing 😂 but Showtime will still back him though #Amerika”
Happy Halloween from Dana White and his hookers👻🎃 pic.twitter.com/ndzsPPpLdD
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) October 30, 2021
UFC President and Jake Paul nemesis Dana White quickly hopped in the conversation to scold Paul for insulting Shields.
“So Jake Paul calls Claressa Shields a loser?” White started in an interview with MMA Fighting. “Claressa Shields is nothing but a winner, who actually fought real people in her weight class, in her own age, in her own sport, and then goes over to MMA and tries to win a world title. That’s not a loser. That’s a winner.”
“When are you gonna start fighting someone your own f*ckin’ age, your own weight, that actually fights in your own f*ckin’ sport that you’re claiming you’re in? Shut the f*ck up, you goofball. For you to call Claressa Shields a loser is f*cking unbelievable.
“I hope she knocks him out. I hope he runs into her somewhere and she knocks him the f*ck out.”
Dana White loves promoting my fights for free.. thank you @danawhite pic.twitter.com/OGKBhduiMK
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) October 30, 2021
Promotional Paradox
Therein lies the paradox of Jake Paul.
While he disrespects the most decorated female boxer, he steals the narrative, making it a dirty fight online. It cued up his real purpose, to promote his next fight against Tommy Fury on Dec. 18 in Tampa, Florida, and live on Showtime.
As a 4-0 professional fighter, Paul has never fought a real boxer, demolishing a YouTuber, former basketball great Nate Robinson, former MMA champion Ben Askren and going the distance with former UFC champion Tyron Woodley.
Jake Paul will be fighting Tommy Fury, the half-brother of Tyson Fury, on Dec. 18 in Tampa, Florida, sources tell @marc_raimondi. pic.twitter.com/rd77qAtCQT
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) October 29, 2021
However, his fight against the brother of Tyson Fury will be his biggest test to date. Fury is 7-0 with 4 KOs.
Although his disrespect of Shields is par for the course in a trash talk-based business, Paul is strategic to keep his name alive en route to another payday.
As boxing devolves into a more WWE aesthetic, Jake Paul disrespecting Claressa Shields erodes its respectability.
