Claressa Shields has made a career out of collecting championships and breaking barriers. On August 15, she’ll add another first to the list: becoming the first female boxer to headline Atlanta’s State Farm Arena.
And for Shields, this one hits differently.
In an exclusive interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, Claressa Shields explained why taking top billing at the 18,000-plus-seat arena represents more than another marquee fight. “Honestly, I’m just so proud to be able to even represent Atlanta and be the first woman to headline in Atlanta State Farm because it’s like Atlanta is like the Black Hollywood,” Shields told Robinson. “I admired this place so much.”
The significance isn’t lost on a fighter who remembers when women’s boxing struggled to get anything close to this kind of platform.
“Even though where I started in boxing there wasn’t a lot of respect and recognition, and people didn’t really praise women’s boxing how they should, now I’ve literally grown the sport,” Shields said.
Now she’s measuring that growth in seats.
“I’m making women’s boxing culturally respected to where I can come to Atlanta and fight as the main event and sell out 18,000+ people,” Shields told Robinson. “Besides the belts, that means a lot to me.”
And Shields certainly isn’t short on belts.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist has captured world championships across five weight divisions and became the first boxer, male or female, in the four-belt era to become undisputed in three divisions. She enters the Atlanta event undefeated professionally and with another piece of history within reach.
“I come out on top August 15th, I’ll be 21-time world champion,” she told Newton. “That’s not something you want to miss.”
That same conversation showed just how much is happening around Shields outside the ring. She discussed her business interests, her relationship with Papoose and her plans to eventually become a mother.
At one point, Shields even joked that she was “surprised” she hadn’t become pregnant yet given how much time the couple spends together when she isn’t in camp.
Motherhood, however, will have to wait until after the immediate business at hand. Shields previously told Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor on The Pivot Podcast that she doesn’t intend to wait until retirement to have children, but she also plans to return to boxing after taking time away.
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