Any way you slice it, boxer Claressa Shields is sitting atop the world as she blazes trails in a career path where success is almost impossible.
The self-described GWOAT (Greatest Women’s Boxer of All Time) out works, out hustles, out thinks and outperforms her opponents — end of story. It’s the reason for her incredible success inside and outside of the boxing ring.
The talented, hard-charging 30-year-old Flint native who has defied the odds, took to boxing like a fish to water as a youngster looking for refuge from tough circumstances growing up and hasn’t looked back.
She wasn’t just good, she was outstanding as she worked relentlessly and would go on to win two Olympic gold medals in women’s boxing, turn pro and remain undefeated at 17-0.
On Feb. 22, Shields, who has won titles in five weight classes, will defend her undisputed heavyweight title against Franchón Crews-Dezurnbefore an expected sold-out crowd of 18,000 fans at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
Shields and Crews-Dezurn appeared at the Detroit Auto Show on Jan. 23 to promote their fight.
“Hosting the Claressa Shields–Franchón Crews-Dezurn press conference (during the middle of the show) was pure Detroit: world-class athletes, iconic cars, and an energy you don’t find anywhere else,” said Sam Klemet, executive director of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, who is among Shields’ growing legions of fans.
Along with her promoter Dmitriy Salita, of Salita Productions, Shields has inspired excitement again about big-time boxing in the Motor City.
“During that press conference, you had boxing, music, and industry together,” Salita said. “We had Claressa, Franchón Crews, our partners at Wynn Records and hip-hop icon Papoose. Those are the same pillars — auto, music, boxing — that made Detroit a global leader in the first place.”
Shields’ story is legend and was made into a biopic movie (“The Fire Inside”) in 2024, which I saw among the films available on a recent Delta flight.
“Claressa changed the trajectory of women’s boxing,” Salita said. “She became the first woman to headline premium television, and that happened in our very first fight together.
“She breaks glass ceilings with every performance — but just as importantly, she uses her voice.”
And her performance inside the ring is undeniable. After defending her undisputed heavyweight title against Lani Daniels on July 26 in Detroit, Shields suffered tears in both shoulders and needed surgery. She took a few weeks off to recuperate. Though she couldn’t punch, she kept in game-ready shape with workouts as she knew another fight was ahead.
She’s now training in Coral Gables, Florida, as we talked about her career, her advocacy to help level the playing field for pay for female athletes, and an upcoming break to do something else ― start a family.
“It’s unbelievable that 18,000 people are coming out to see your girl,” she said of her upcoming fight.
She said she’s 100% healed and in the best shape of her life.
“I never have an ‘off day,’ ” she said. “I’ll be defending my belt and my money.”
She’s reaping big money from her champion status, making history in November when she signed an $8 million deal with Wynn Records and Salita Productions for four fights, which guarantees that as a minimum; she could be worth over $15 million, she told me.
“It’s the most lucrative deal ever for a female boxer,” she said, adding, “I am very honored. … I feel like the Beyonce of my sport.”
Shields’ impact continues to grow as she was just named to Adweek’s “35 Most Powerful Women in Sports 2026″ list. She was recognized “for her unparalleled dominance in boxing and her role in expanding opportunities for women in the sports.”
Shields talked about her Olympic appearances and the issue of equal pay, which came to light for her back then.
“When I came back for my second Olympics, I found the girls (female boxers) were only getting $1,000 a month while the male boxers were getting $3,000 to $4,000,” she said, ”Here I am, the returning champion, and I was going only (getting) $1,000 while male boxers, some who hadn’t won a thing ― would get thousands more.”
Her discussions led to her getting paid ― more than the male boxers ― and equal pay for the female Olympic boxers.
Shields said equal pay for women in sports still has a long way to go.
I asked what was next for her, as someone who has a career full of setting extraordinary goals and exceeding them.
“Right now, I want to have a big knockout at LCA on Feb. 22,” she said.
Looking ahead, she knows she’ll eventually face an opponent no one can beat. “I want to box as long as my body lets me. I know I make boxing look good and I win, but it’s hard.
“I’d like to fight until I’m 38,” she said, adding, “It could also be sooner or later.
“I’d also like to have my own kids,” she said. Shields is a champion for her extended family and known to take care of their kids, too.
She and her partner, hip-hop artist Papoose, are looking to start a family.
“We wanted to do so this year, but my ambition with boxing keeps getting in the way,” she said. “I’d like to have one or two more fights this year, then take next year off.”
She turns 31 on March 17. I asked how she’s going to celebrate.
“I haven’t had time to think about it, but I will,“ she said with a smile.
(This story has been updated to reflect the status of ticket sales of Shields’ upcoming match in Detroit.)
Contact Carol Cain at clcain@cbs.com. She is senior producer/host of “Michigan Matters,” which airs at 5:30 a.m. Sundays on CBS Detroit and 9:30 a.m. Sundays on CW Detroit 50. See Claressa Shields and John Walsh, CEO, Michigan Manufacturers Association, on this week’s show. You can watch the show simultaneously on the two stations’ listings on Fubu, Pluto TV, YouTube TV and Apple TV.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Flint native and champion boxer Claressa Shields’ next moves
Reporting by Carol Cain, Detroit Free Press Business Columnist / Detroit Free Press
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