Claressa Shields claims that the reason her long-awaited bout with Laila Ali hasn’t happened yet is because the latter is ducking her.
TMZ spoke with Shields in Los Angeles about the status of the fight, claiming that Ali doesn’t want to get in the ring with her.
"Layla and her representatives have told us no. Like, the answer is 'no.' She doesn't want to fight. And that's fine. I have no problem with that. I'm not upset. I mean, I wouldn't fight me either. You know what I'm saying? I understand that she's scared. I'm moving on," Shields said.
"I thought that she was about all that talk. She wanted $15 million. I went and got the $15 million. And now it's all this backpedaling,” Shields continued. “So, you know, congrats to her on whatever she's doing. But I'm moving on with my career."
Shields’ comments come a couple of days after Ali spoke on whether they’d get in the ring on Instagram. On Aug. 6, the legendary boxer answered fans on IG Live who were asking about the hyped bout.
“Yes, I’m going to answer your question…when I’m good and ready,” Ali said in the video. “Nobody calls the shots on me. I do things when, how, and where I like.”
She wrapped up the clip with a playful “Bye. Love you guys,” adding the hashtag #PracticePatience in the caption.
The idea of a a bout between Shields and Ali has been brewing for years, starting back in 2018 when Ali told The Breakfast Club that she didn’t see a worthy opponent who could get her to come out of retirement. She did, however, shout out Shields for being a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
In 2020, Ali suggested that she’d get in the ring with Shields for $5 million, but nothing ever came of the announcement. Later, Shields called Ali a “bitter old person” and suggested that Ali discouraged her from turning pro.
In July of this year, she claimed that a $15 or $20 million offer would be necessary for her to even entertain the idea of hopping into the ring. “I’m not trying to come back and fight,” she said, “but if someone offered that kind of money, I’d have to think about it.”
That same month, Shields addressed Ali in a video claiming that she had the money to make the fight happen. "Laila, I'm here with my team. I got some great news for you. We got the $15 million!" Shields said. "Let's make a fight between me and you. The best versus the best. The greats versus the greats. The GWOAT versus Muhammad Ali's daughter, Laila Ali. Let's make it happen."