Beef in boxing is nothing new. For many fans, it only adds to the drama and intrigue. Take the recent feud between Edgar Berlanga and Oscar De La Hoya, for instance. But how often do fans witness tensions flaring between two legends who have long since retired? Rarely! Perhaps that’s why the growing friction between Floyd Mayweather and Roy Jones Jr. has drawn so much attention. While neither has gone for outright trash talk, both have subtly taken jabs at one another in recent weeks.

Roy Jones Jr. first questioned Floyd Mayweather’s self-proclaimed status as the greatest, prompting Mayweather to respond in his own way, by posting clips of Jones’ knockout losses. Ultimately, as often happens in legacy battles, others inevitably get pulled into the crossfire. Oscar De La Hoya, has weighed in on the matter. And now, it seems Claressa Shields has joined the conversation as well, adding yet another layer to an already heated debate.

Yesterday, Fight Hub TV caught up with Claressa Shields, who is scheduled to defend her undisputed middleweight titles against Lani Daniels on July 26th at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. During the interview, The GWOAT addressed a wide range of topics: from Gervonta Davis’ recent arrest over alleged domestic violence in Florida to the ongoing online spat between Floyd Mayweather and Roy Jones Jr. When asked about the war of words between the two former champions, Shields shrugged off the drama. “Beef is beef, man. Smoke is smoke. People don’t like each other, man. I don’t know why everybody acts like they’re so shocked.”

She then added with a laugh, “There are people I don’t like. H—, beef is beef. Everybody’s got their ego. And you know, Floyd posted that story where he showed Roy Jones getting knocked out—and now it’s beef.” But Shields didn’t stop there. She even offered a straightforward solution to settle the feud. “Hey! Best way to handle beef is to fight,” she said, laughing. “Just let them f—— fight. That’s how I feel about all my beef. Just let us fight, goddamn. I want to fight somebody.”

Toward the end of the conversation, the 16-0 boxer was asked a hypothetical: if a fight between Floyd Mayweather and Roy Jones Jr. were to happen, who would she back? Her answer was clear, she chose loyalty. In case you didn’t know, before her bout with Ema Kozin in 2022, Shields had publicly praised Floyd Mayweather, saying, “He’s very fond of my skills and my power and said he’s going to fly to the UK to watch this fight.” She also spoke about training alongside the 50-0 legend: “Training with Floyd Mayweather has pushed my confidence even higher.”

So it came as no surprise when Shields declared her support for Mayweather. “I’ve seen Mayweather train when I was in Dubai with him for one of my exhibition fights,” she said. “And I’ll tell you, Mayweather can come back and fight professionally against some of the best men in the world right now.” Meanwhile, in an unexpected twist, Andre Ward, who recently interviewed Roy Jones Jr. on his show, now found himself pulled into the drama.

Undefeated star slams Roy Jones Jr. in Floyd Mayweather feud fallout

Radio Rahim recently caught up with Olympic gold medalist and former world champion Andre Ward. A few minutes into the interview, the Seconds Out journalist brought up the ongoing tension between Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather, asking Ward, “We saw Roy Jones here. You know, he and Floyd Mayweather are getting after it. Just what are your thoughts?” The question drew a knowing smile from Ward, who seemed amused but hesitant to weigh in fully.

Referring to both Floyd Mayweather and Jones as “uncles,” Ward admitted he felt conflicted watching their feud unfold. “I don’t know what to say. I’m, you know, I don’t even know how to feel about it,” he said. As elite fighters and entertainers, both are understandably protective of their legacies. Ward noted, “Nobody wants you messing with their legacy or even hinting at messing with their legacy and saying anything against it.”

In the end, when Rahim asked who was to blame for the spat, Ward sidestepped the question. “I’m not going to get into that,” he said, acknowledging how difficult it is to choose sides in such a personal matter. “They’re fighters, bro. I don’t care if they’re 70; they’re going to be talking like this.” And given how sensitive legacy debates can be in boxing, his neutral stance makes perfect sense. That said, what are your thoughts on Claressa Shields’ bold comments?