Claressa Shields deserves to be recognised as the No 1 fighter in woman’s boxing ahead of Katie Taylor, believes promoter Dmitriy Salita. Shields just successfully defended her undisputed heavyweight championship in a dominant unanimous decision victory over Franchon Crews-Dezurn to extend her perfect professional record to 18-0.
The double Olympic champion has amassed 18 world championships across five weight classes and is the only female boxer ever to have held four major world titles in three different weight divisions.
Undisputed super lightweight Taylor similarly reigns as an icon and trailblazer of women’s boxing, within which she is widely considered to be the greatest.
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Watch highlights of the epic between Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall in a fight-of-the-year contender!
“Katie Taylor is a historic figure in boxing, and I’ve said many times – personally and professionally – that I’m a fan of hers and what she has done for the sport,” Shields’ promoter Salita told Sky Sports.
“That said, Claressa Shields is definitively the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in women’s boxing today.
“What separates Claressa is not just what she’s accomplished in the ring which already stands on its own but the totality of her impact. There is something more to being a bona fide superstar than simply being elite in the ring. There’s an “IT” factor. The ability to headline, to sell out arenas, to create moments, to carry events regardless of the opponent – and Claressa has that.
“She may be the first woman in the history of the sport consistently selling out major arenas regardless of opponent.”Shields has stormed through the weight divisions as one of the face’s of women’s combat sport, a marquee moment in her career coming in 2022 when she defeated long-time rival Savannah Marshall in London.
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Savannah Marshall says that Claressa Shields…
2026-02-24 07:00:00
