On July 26, Claressa Shields systematically tore Lani Daniels apart to retain her undisputed heavyweight crown. It was a sensational performance from ‘T-Rex’, who dominated the fight from the first bell to the absolute end. In simple words, it was a boxing clinic by one of the very best. However, instead of focusing on her performance, Daniels and her fight strategy captured all the attention. Rather than taking the fight to Shields, the challenger adopted a hit-and-run strategy. In the early rounds, Daniels rarely stayed in one place for more than a moment.

Predictably, the boxing community criticized this tactic, with Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney, previously mocked for similar approaches, joining in to ridicule her performance.

In May, after two disappointing PPVs by Riyadh Season, His Excellency issued a straight directive to all his boxers that he wouldn’t entertain any “Tom and Jerry” kinds of fights. While he didn’t name anyone explicitly, the majority of the boxing community believed it to be about Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney. Why? Because these are two of the best defensive boxers currently, and they avoid clashing head-on.

So, after redeeming himself against William Zepeda a few weeks ago, Stevenson was not going to miss the chance to call out Lani Daniels’ performance. So, during the fight, he took to his ‘X’ and wrote, “What in the tom and Jerry,” still in disbelief. His thoughts echoed throughout the boxing world, with even Devin Haney having the same thoughts.

‘The Dream’ retweeted Stevenson’s post, responding with a simple “” to show agreement. Typically, Stevenson and Haney are fierce rivals, but this time, they united, having both faced similar criticism just months earlier. The WBC lightweight champion has recently proven himself against Zepeda; Haney will get the chance for himself come November against Brian Norman Jr..

Talking more about the fight, while Shakur Stevenson did mock Lani Daniels’ performance to defend himself, he also made sure to hail Claressa Shields’ dominance.

Claressa Shields: The undisputed GWOAT

As soon as the match got over, the lightweight champion once again took to his ‘X’ to praise ‘T-Rex’s’ performance. Over the years, Claressa Shields and Stevenson have curated a deep bond with each other, almost like siblings. So, when the self-proclaimed GWOAT once again proved that she is in a league of her own, her brother made sure to hype it up.

“U can hate greatness but u can’t deny it CLARESSA IS THE BEST WOMAN TO EVER LACE UP A PAIR OF GLOVES, I’m so proud of u T Rex @Claressashields,” he wrote. In a follow-up tweet, he continued, “Imagine being so great u loss one time in your entire life, And avenged it on the biggest stage.. I never seen nothing like this in my life, If nobody gone speak on it I will she won 2 olympic gold medals also was Undisputed in 2 weight classes, The 1’s who hate should do they hw cause what she doing seems impossible but she make it look easy @Claressashields People call it Ego I see confidence on the highest level Crown her 👑.”

Such high praise from a former Olympian and elite champion speaks volumes. Since her debut, Claressa Shields has dominated the boxing world. While some fans and experts may debate her ‘GWOAT’ status, if she maintains her current trajectory, there won’t be any doubts by the end of her career. What do you think?