Claressa Shields reclaimed the WBC and WBA middleweight titles with a sixth-round stoppage victory over Kaye Scott in Atlanta. The American superstar battered her rival until Scott’s corner threw in multiple towels, immediately sparking calls for a mega-fight against Lauren Price.
Shields took total command after enduring a brutal 38lb weight cut over 14 weeks to make the 160lb limit. She paced herself brilliantly against the tough 42-year-old Australian, avoiding burnout in the early rounds before turning up the heat.
Shields explained her patient tactical approach after the fight. She admitted: “It was the most disciplined I’ve been since the Olympics, I feel like. She was stronger than I thought.”
The self-proclaimed ‘GWOAT’ systematically broke Scott down with sharp combinations before dropping her in the sixth round. Scott got up, but Shields backed her onto the ropes and rained down punishing power shots. Corner officials had seen enough, tossing in multiple towels at 1:38 of round six to save their fighter from further damage.
Shields reflected on the physical challenge afterwards, stating: “She was very strong. I knew that, with the amount of weight I’d cut, I didn’t want to exert too much energy early.”
Victory moved Shields to a perfect 19-0 as a professional and secured her third stint as middleweight champion. Now, the 31-year-old is hunting down her next massive transatlantic showdown. Unbeaten Welsh Olympic champion Lauren Price is target number one, with Shields eyeing a December or January clash.
Shields already knows what it takes to settle a British feud, having previously beaten Savannah Marshall in London following their famous amateur rivalry. Price has welcomed the battle, and promoter Dmitriy Salita is ready to make the dream fight reality.
Salita stated: “Claressa came down to middleweight to make the biggest fights possible. We want to make this a mega-event, and I believe that fight belongs in the United States.”
While Salita prefers American soil, he kept the door wide open for another trip across the Atlantic. He added: “That being said, we love the UK, and another fight there is certainly not out of the question. It’s an incredible time for women’s boxing.”
Whether in the US or the UK, Shields has proved she remains the supreme force in women’s boxing.
