Claressa Shields is just days away from her highly anticipated showdown with Lani Daniels. The two will face off on July 26 at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan—Shields’ home turf. The ten two-minute round bout will see Shields defend her undisputed heavyweight crown. However, just ahead of the fight, Shields has been hit with devastating news that could shake her focus heading into the ring.

So, what’s the news? Well, it involves Katie Taylor, who recently defended her titles against longtime rival Amanda Serrano in the final chapter of their epic trilogy. The pair previously clashed in April 2022 and then in November last year, with all three bouts going down to the wire. Yet, Ireland’s Taylor emerged victorious each time. Now, she’s been awarded the ultimate honor—one that casts a shadow over Claressa Shields’ position.

According to Seconds Out, “Katie Taylor has claimed the number one spot in the women’s pound-for-pound rankings following her trilogy win over Amanda Serrano earlier this month!” Claressa Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, has held the women’s pound-for-pound crown since turning professional and asserting dominance across multiple weight classes. As of the time of writing, the 30-year-old has not publicly responded to the recent development.

However, the official rankings haven’t shifted across the board. Ring Magazine still lists Claressa Shields as their No. 1 pound-for-pound women’s champion, and ESPN has yet to elevate Katie Taylor to the top spot either. That said, Yahoo Sports and Ariel Helwani’s Uncrowned have updated their rankings, placing Taylor at No. 1 following her victory over Serrano in their trilogy bout. In the meantime, a former world champion has shared his take on who the best female boxer of all time is.

Katie Taylor or Claressa Shields? Former champion reveals who the real GWOAT is

The GWOAT debate never really ends, with varying opinions from experts and fans. However, now, former super middleweight champion Carl Froch has joined the conversation. In an interview with EscapistMagazine, Froch said, “Katie Taylor for me is probably one of the most outstanding female athletes, especially in boxing of all time.”

Froch acknowledged that there are a couple of other names that come close to Taylor’s achievements, but “with Katie Taylor, she’s just phenomenal.” While Froch was not quite ready to name Taylor as the “best of all time,” but claimed, “she’s certainly up there.” He brought up Claressa Shields, noting, “You’ve got Claressa Shields, who is probably joint first.” 

Regardless, Froch feels it’s time for Taylor to hang up the gloves. “I think now it’s probably time to hang up the gloves, but you never know if there’s big money waiting for another fight, you might see her again.”

Carl Froch seems to have a tough time picking between Katie Taylor and Claressa Shields, placing them neck and neck in the race for the top spot. One thing’s certain, though—both women have made incredible contributions to boxing and carved out their own legacies. But if you had to choose, who would take the crown as the greatest?