Claressa Shields has a number in mind for how she wants her career to end, and it means eleven more fights.
Shields is 19-0 and wants to retire at 30-0, matching the shape of Floyd Mayweather’s unbeaten finish if not the total. Mayweather was ringside on August 15 when she stopped Kaye Scott in six rounds at the State Farm Arena in Georgia, a fight she took after dropping from heavyweight back to middleweight to reclaim an old title.
Two names are in front of her. Talks are under way about Lauren Price, currently a welterweight champion, and Shields told Sky Sports that Mikaela Mayer is the alternative.
Anything is possible. I came down specifically to fight against Kaye Scott and then hopefully have a big showdown with Olympic champions, me and Lauren Price. If the fight with Lauren Price can’t happen, I would love to get in the ring with Mikaela Mayer.
She was not generous about Mayer’s chances.
I know that she came from a smaller weight class and now she’s at 154lbs, but my skills are still better than hers. I’m still faster than her. We have the same experience, but I have better experience. I’ve been to the Olympic gold medal match twice, she hasn’t.
I beat everybody. It doesn’t matter the name that you put. Claressa versus whoever, I beat them.
Mayer faces Chantelle Cameron in Birmingham this weekend to unify at super-welterweight, which will decide whether she is available.
Shields is 31 and has won world titles in five divisions, going undisputed in three of them.
