Claressa Shields is Sporting News’ Women’s Boxing Athlete of the Decade
People around here have always known Claressa Shields is a force to be reckoned with. An amazing athlete with a talent rarely seen. Now the second woman to be crowned as the undisputed world champion has received some major recognition being named the Best Female Boxer of the Decade by Sporting News.
With fewer than 10 professional fights under her belt, the Flint native has proven she is truly a champion. At just 24 years old, Shields is one of only seven other boxers in history, female or male, to hold all four major world titles in boxing in WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO simultaneously. After being the first American boxer, female or male, to win consecutive Olympic medals in 2012 and 2016, Shields officially went professional in 2016.
Currently 9-0, she told Sporting News in October, “I just want to fight the best, be better and get better and by the time I'm done boxing or even while I'm boxing be considered one of the top 10 best boxers in the world. That's my overall goal." Shields took to social media about receiving her latest accolade.
Up next for the greatest of the decade? Shields faces Ivana Habazin on January 10th for the WBC and WBO junior middleweight titles. If she wins she'll become the fastest boxer, woman or man, to rise and become a three-division world champion. Congratulations Claressa!