“Unless somebody has $15, $20 million, don’t even call me.” Those were the exact words from Laila Ali when she spoke about her potential return to boxing during the Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano trilogy event last month. It didn’t take long for Claressa Shields, who has had a long-standing rivalry with Ali, to respond, as she revealed that with backing from Ruben Branson’s Wynn Records, she had secured $15 million for Ali, even sharing an image of her posing with a giant check.

Weeks went by, but no development appeared regarding the potential fight, when suddenly the self-proclaimed ‘GWOAT’ of boxing revealed what had happened behind the scenes. The two-time Olympic gold medalist claimed, “Laila and her representatives have told us no. She doesn’t want to fight.” Shields claimed Ali was scared of her, adding, “Her daddy would never [duck a fight].” Amidst the hullabaloo, Ali shared a video on social media. But it wasn’t about the fight.

Laila Ali is minding her own business

Well into her retirement, the 47-year-old was promoting her reality TV show Chef Grudge Match in a video shared on her Instagram account. “Tonight we got another episode of Chef Grudge Match coming on the Food Network, 9 o’clock, 8 p.m. Central. Make sure you watch it, but if you miss it, you can stream it on HBO Max,” she said in the video. 

Laila asked her fans whether they hold a grudge against anyone, claiming she would pick winners from the comment section for some special prizes. “My spice blends, my cookbook, ‘Food for Life’, or one of the t-shirts for my boxing days,” she said in the video. However, she might not have expected people to bring up her rivalry with Claressa Shields instead. 

Yet the fans did exactly that, flooding the video with demands for her to return to the ring to face Claressa Shields. 

Claressa Shields dominates the public sentiment

Despite the glaring 17-year age gap between the two boxers, people kept pestering her to accept the challenge. One user seemed frustrated and urged Ali to fight. “Just fight Shields,” the user commented. However, from the looks of things, that isn’t happening anytime soon. 

Another user hyped up the fight. “Shields vs Ali 🔥🔥🔥,” the user wrote. While the bout would have been a financial success, Ali doesn’t appear to want to risk losing her undefeated record by fighting Claressa Shields. 

Meanwhile, this user warned Laila Ali about fighting Claressa Shields. “Champ, [you better] not fight Claressa. [You] got nothing to prove,” the user claimed. Ali indeed doesn’t have anything to prove, as she has not only retired but also done so after a successful boxing career. Coming back to boxing can only harm her health and legacy. 

The next user seemed open to the idea of the fight, but didn’t blame Ali for refusing the offer. “Would love to see you come back and knock out Shields. She has no respect. But if you don’t, your legacy is cemented anyway. God bless, champ. Your father was a god,” the user commented. Ali was a four-time undefeated boxing world champion, recognized as one of the greatest female boxers of all time. 

However, this user didn’t share the same sentiment, demanding Ali take the fight. “I want you to challenge for that world title in boxing,” the user wrote. Ali could fight for the title, as evident from Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios, but the question is, should she? 

Even though Laila Ali doesn’t seem to be in the mood to re-enter the ring at the age of 47, people seem way too passionate about a fight against Claressa Shields. Even if you ignore the ethical dilemma of a fight between two boxers with a 17-year age gap, Ali stands to gain nothing besides $15 million. Should she really risk her life and legacy for that money?