There’s no doubt that Claressa Shields is one of the greats in the sport. Her achievements outweigh most names in the community, and in fact, she recently won a title in a fifth weight class, becoming the heavyweight champion. But Andre Berto and Andre Ward feel she still doesn’t receive the kind of respect, notoriety, and money she deserves. 

You see, the thing is, Shields has always been very outspoken about the things she has done in the sport. Be it her two Olympic medals, or her undisputed status in two weight classes, she never misses an opportunity to boast about herself. This doesn’t sit well with everyone and don’t forget everyone has haters as well, meaning she receives a lot of hate online. And in the face of such an instance, while appearing in the All The Smoke Fight podcast of late, the Andre duo defended Shields against her haters. 

And Claressa Shields responds in agreement

Berto emphasized his support for Shields while recognizing her achievements in the sport, stating, “I believe that she continues to feel like she has to do more and more to continue to try to gain any type of real respect.” He noted that Shields has branched out into MMA, rapping, and YouTube, not just out of passion but to create more buzz around her, “because she feels like she needs to.”

Despite these efforts, Berto argued that Shields still isn’t receiving the love, recognition, or sponsorships she deserves. He pointed out that Shields feels other female athletes, who she doesn’t believe are on her level, “continue to get” the recognition she’s working hard to achieve. Berto speculated that this disparity could stem from her background or the way she speaks—whatever the reason, he suggested it’s an issue that needs to be addressed.

Championing Shields’ success, Berto asked pointedly, “What else does she need to do to get those real dollars, those real endorsement dollars?” During the same conversation, Andre Ward added his perspective on the criticism Shields faces online, saying, “I’m not standing for the blatant disrespect to this young lady from these grown men.”

Later that day, clips from the podcast began circulating on X, catching Shields’ attention. She responded passionately, “Yeah! Cause wtf wrong with yall ni**as!!!” Nevertheless, Shields remains committed to proving she’s the best in women’s boxing, upholding her title as ‘The GWOAT.’

Shields issues ‘GWOAT’ challenge to Taylor and Serrano

Back in July, Claressa Shields threw down the gauntlet to Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, challenging them to settle the debate over who is truly the best female fighter. Ahead of her bid to become a fifth-weight world champion, Shields declared in a press conference for the fight, “Any of those girls who want to be the GWOAT, all you got to do is make the fight with me”.

Shields, undefeated in 15 professional bouts and the first boxer to be an undisputed champion in two weight classes during the four-belt era, even defeated Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in Detroit. Regardless, she questioned, “Who fights the best? Who [doesn’t] struggle in fights no matter what size?”, confident that a showdown with Taylor or Serrano would affirm her GWOAT status.

Having said that, Andre Berto and Andre Ward seemed confident that Claressa Shields doesn’t deserve the kind of hate she receives online, especially after what she has managed to achieve in the sport. What is your take on this?