Olympic boxing gold medalist Claressa Shields has boldly declared herself second behind GOAT’ Muhammad Ali, claiming ’98 per cent of men in the world’ can’t defeat her.
Shields, 25, holds a 10-0 record with multiple world straps in three different weight classes and could capture another undisputed championship in a second weight class when she competes against Marie-Eve Dicaire on Friday.
Speaking ahead of the Dicaire fight, the self-proclaimed GWOAT [Greatest Woman of All Time] fighter told Sky Sports: “I don’t box for a hobby. It’s not a hobby. It’s my career, and I feel like people underestimate me when I speak about how great I am.
“But if I didn’t say how great I am, no-one in this room would have ever called me great because they don’t recognise it. Only the greats know that they’re great.
“Like Muhammad Ali. Nobody called him the greatest of all time. They actually called him the ‘Louisville Lip’ because he talked too much.
“If he had never said he was the greatest of all time, he would have never been considered the greatest.
“No matter what boxer comes along, nobody can get in front of Muhammad Ali. That’s how I feel about myself.
“Muhammad Ali is first, and Claressa Shields is second. I am the greatest woman of all time, and 98 per cent of men in the world can’t beat me.
“I want you to know I’m not taking prisoners. This is a new era for me. My name from now on is Claressa ‘The GWOAT’ Shields.
“[Previous nickname] ‘T-Rex’ has long gone. ‘T-Rex’ was aggressive, but the greatest of all time has so much more. She possesses poise, power and punch placement.
“In an interview, I saw [Dicaire] is not worried about the outcome; she’s worried about the task. Well, I’m worried about the outcome. I’ve known what the task is for the last 13 months.
“I’m concerned about the outcome because I don’t particularly appreciate losing.
“When I lost my first fight when I was 17, I didn’t sleep until I was 21 when I won my second Olympics. That’s how personally I take this fight.
“I’m hoping she can bring out a different side of me because many girls haven’t been able to take me to level three. I’m hoping she can take me to level 10.”
