Boxing

Could Laila Ali Make An Unlikely Ring Return To Face Claressa Shields?

The intergenerational fight could generate big money interest

Joseph Hammond

Laila Ali, former boxing champion and daughter of Muhammad Ali, during the annual Smart Women Luncheon and Expo on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at the Savannah Convention Center.
Laila Ali, former boxing champion and daughter of Muhammad Ali, during the annual Smart Women Luncheon and Expo on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at the Savannah Convention Center. / Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Claressa Shields bills herself as the “GWOAT” and is keen to square off against the daughter of the GOAT (Muhammad Ali) in a potential boxing match or exhibition.

Forty-six years old Laila Ali may consider returning to the ring to face Claressa Shields in the generational matchup.

“Such a fight would be a moment that transcends generations – one legend proving her dominance today, and another returning to test herself against the very best of this era,” said promoter Dmitry Salita in an exclusive interview with KO on SI.

Laila Ali may have the age, but she also participated in the first superfight in women’s boxing history—a match against the daughter of Joe Frazier. Ali took on Jacqui Frazier-Lyde in a fight built as Ali-Frazier IV on June 8, 2001 at the Turning Stone Casino in Syracuse, New York. The fight was entertaining and garnered decent media attention.

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The possibility springs from the growing beef between the two legends after Ali urged Shields to “stay humble” in a recent media appearance. Shields and Laila have traded public barbs in the past, and this is hardly the first time they have been linked to a fight.

As a professional, Shields is the only boxer, male or female, to hold all four respected world titles (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO) in three different weight classes, making her a three-division undisputed champion.

Ali, on the other hand, overcame her father’s hesitations to become a world champion when women’s boxing was still in its infancy. In one statistical category, Ali stands out. She ended her career with 24 wins, including 21 by knockout. Conversely, Shields has had three knockouts in her first 16 fights.

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Joseph Hammond
JOSEPH HAMMOND

Joseph Hammond is a veteran sports journalist with extensive experience covering world championship fights across three continents. He has interviewed legendary champions such as Julio César Chávez, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Gennady Golovkin, Oscar De La Hoya, and Bernard Hopkins, among many others. He reported ringside for KO On SI in 2024 for the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk bout in Riyadh - the first undisputed heavyweight championship in 24 years.