Women’s boxing GWOAT Claressa Shields has accomplished a ton of things in the sport of boxing.
The three-time undisputed and five-weight world champion is easily the most decorated woman in the history of the sport.
Shields is also one of the brash and outspoken athletes in any sport, who’s quick to tell you all about her accomplishments. While she’s correct, that could be part of the reason she was left off of ESPN’s list of women trailblazers in sports.
Claressa Shields Left Off ESPN’s List Of Women Trailblazers: She’s Not Happy
It could also be that the sport of women’s boxing just doesn’t get the love or support that other sports get. Either way, ESPN dropped the ball, and Shields was definitely quick to let them know about it. The self-proclaimed GWOAT took to X to express her feelings in a post that also listed her accolades as a boxer.
“Wow @espn Y’all have really lost y’all mind!!!!! Do I have to run my resume down to y’all!!! 2x Olympic champ 3x Undisputed champion 5 weight world champion 15x world champ WOMENS BOXING Trailblazer.”
That’s exactly what Shields posted after seeing the likes of renowned gymnast Simone Biles, legendary swimmer Katie Ledecky and even 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark made the list, but why not Shields, who’s created her own lane in the sport of boxing as it pertains to women.
Claressa Shields Doesn’t Have Ratings Or Following Of Cailtin Clark
Maybe it’s the lack of viewership that comes with Shields’ line of work. Not many are willing to pay to attend her fights or order them via pay-per-view. That’s the total opposite of Clark, whose rookie season helped change the WNBA from a viewership, merchandising and overall brand point of view.
In fact, with Clark being eliminated from the playoffs in the opening round, the viewership has dropped considerably, going from a record 2.5 million viewers to just 929,000 for the highly anticipated WNBA playoffs semifinals match between the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces, a rematch of last year’s Finals. As for Biles and Ledecky, they’re blessed to have the Olympic platform to showcase their talent in front of the world.
Shields Offered To Give Clark Boxing Lessons
Back in August Shields was asked about Clark and her impact on the WNBA, to which she said, “The way that girl is shooting I may have to give her a little foul or something. Cailtin is doing her thing. Shoutout to her and Angel Reese. They’ve brought much attention to the WNBA”
She also mentioned that she could help Clark, who experienced rookie initiation like we’ve never seen before in the league protect herself.
“I want Caitlin to come sign up for boxing training with me,” Shields said. “Not to teach her how to fight but to give her confidence and not let anybody push her over. When you have the confidence of knowing you can protect yourself, you don’t have to be fearful or scared of anybody. Caitlin is a great WNBA player, but she’s a rookie and, to me, she’s being bullied on national TV.”
Clark hasn’t revealed to anyone if she actually took Shields up on her offer, but she did seem to get more respect from other WNBA players as the season wore on.
