Claressa Shields has been temporarily suspended by the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission after testing positive for marijuana following her recent fight, sparking a fiery response from the self-proclaimed “GWOAT” (Greatest Woman of All Time).
Her suspension came just under a month after she achieved a historic milestone in boxing by becoming the first woman to secure an undisputed heavyweight championship and the first boxer, regardless of gender, to claim undisputed titles in three separate weight divisions after defeating Perkins by unanimous decision on Feburary 3 at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, Michigan.
The Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission suspended Shields following an “oral fluid sample” taken after her latest fight, which revealed the presence of marijuana. The World Boxing Organization (WBO) has also requested a “show notice” from Shields, demanding an explanation.
“Ms Shields’ conduct as a licensed professional boxer constitutes an imminent threat to the integrity of professional boxing, the public interest, and the welfare and safety of professional athletes,” the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission said in a statement to Sky News.
Claressa Shields responded to the news of her suspension on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “It was marijuana, no PEDs. … it’s a temporary suspension (until) I go to trial for the very petite amount. I never smoked weed.”
She continued in another tweet, “Uh oh, we got some more facts coming out! So If I don’t smoke marijuana & Joseph Hicks doesn’t smoke Marijuana, how did we both have our tests come back positive…. And then we both took a urine test for Marijuana, and it also came back Negative! How does that work ?@ESPNRingside @WorldBoxingOrg.”
Dmitriy Salita, who promotes Shields, issued a statement to the publication on Friday (Feb. 21) asserting that the issue will be resolved following a thorough investigation.
https://t.co/jAJanB93ka Uh oh
— Claressa Gwoat Shields (@Claressashields) February 22, 2025we got some more facts coming out! So If I don’t smoke marijuana & Joseph Hicks don’t smoke Marijuana how did we both our test come Back positive…. And then we both took a urine test for Marijuana and it also came back Negative!How does that…
“This is a pending matter with the Michigan Commission, and, as such, I cannot share much more. However, we are 100 percent confident Claressa Shields will be vindicated when this matter concludes, and all the evidence is heard,” it read.
According to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned substance list, marijuana and cannabinoids are banned for athletes in competition unless they have an approved therapeutic use exemption (TUE). Even though marijuana has been legal in Michigan since 2018, “marijuana is prohibited in competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency, and this status applies to all athletes regardless of the state laws where they live,” according to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency website.
