Laila Ali To Claressa Shields: ‘You Can Think You Can Beat Me’

Boxing legend Laila Ali has opened up about her strained relationship with fellow champion Claressa Shields, revealing that the root of their feud stems from Shields’ perceived disrespect.

What began as a mentor-mentee dynamic between the two quickly spiraled into a public feud that left fans of both fighters scratching their heads.

During a recent interview, Laila shared that Claressa initially reached out to her for mentorship and advice. However, their relationship soured when Claressa began questioning Laila’s legacy in the sport.

“You can think you can beat me,” Laila said, addressing the tension. “I’m just saying. You can think that, right? That’s fine. You’re supposed to think that. But to start going in on my legacy, what I have and haven’t done, and all these things. And I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s a lot.'”

Laila expressed her disappointment at the shift in their dynamic, noting how the fans reacted to the clash. “Fans are like, ‘Man, we love both of y’all. Why does it have to be this way?'” she added, highlighting the nature of their conflict.

Four years prior, during an interview on Sway’s Universe, the 46-year-old was questioned about her opinion of Claressa Shields. She answered, “To start with, she could never defeat me. Let me make that clear.”

The rivalry escalated when Laila Ali stated that the GWOAT lacked the skills necessary to compete against her.

This infuriated the 29-year-old, who chose to reply quickly.
In a recent interview, Shields revealed that the money Ali wanted was offered, but the latter didn’t get clearance to fight her in order to prove her salt in the game.

After that interview, Laila disclosed that she had no ill feelings towards Claressa because Claressa thought that she (Claressa) could beat her in the ring. However, the 47-year-old boxing icon didn’t shy away from offering some advice to the younger fighter.

Laila acknowledged that while she doesn’t hold any “hard feelings” toward Claressa, she has noticed a troubling pattern in how Shields interacts with others in the industry.

“I see that she gets into it with a lot of people,” Laila explained. “She gets into it with a lot of female fighters. She gets into it with male fighters. So, obviously, that’s a thing for her. Hopefully, she’ll figure that out because you’re not going to get very far in this life if you continue burning bridges.”

Laila also reminded fans of her own offer to spar with Claressa, an opportunity she says Shields declined.

“Claressa knows I offered her sparring. She knows she didn’t wanna spar with me,” Laila stated.