October 31st 2025.
Laila Ali recently addressed rumors about a potential comeback to face Claressa Shields in a highly-anticipated boxing match for a whopping $15 million payout. In the second part of her podcast series, "Set the Record Straight," the undefeated boxing champion made it clear that she has no intention of coming out of retirement to face Shields.
Ali, who has been retired for almost 20 years, stated that Shields has continuously disrespected her name and legacy as the daughter of the legendary Muhammad Ali. She firmly stated that she will not give Shields the opportunity to earn a big payday at her expense.
In a reposted clip from her podcast, Ali quipped, "So did her plan work? Did she make me mad enough to come out of retirement after 18 years and start training again to make her dream of fighting me and having a big payday courtesy of Laila Ali come true? Absolutely not."
She went on to explain that Shields has spread false narratives about her and has crossed the line by disrespecting her deceased father and using his name to discredit her. Ali has no interest in rewarding Shields with the opportunity to share the ring with her.
Ali also shared a throwback clip of Shields referencing Muhammad Ali and suggesting that Laila does not have the "genes" to match her skills in the ring. Shields said, "Muhammad Ali would never. Her daddy would never. Maybe she doesn't have the genes."
In response, Ali made it clear that she has no plans of ever facing Shields in the ring. "She will not be rewarded with the opportunity to share the ring with me or anything else. There's your answer," Ali stated.
Ali had a successful professional career from 1999 to 2007, retiring undefeated and holding multiple titles in various weight classes. On the other hand, Shields has won numerous world championships in five different weight classes and holds the record for becoming a multi-division world champion in the shortest amount of time.
Shields, who hails from Flint, has openly expressed her desire to face Ali and even offered a $15 million payday after Ali mentioned she might consider fighting her for the right price. However, Ali has made it clear that she has no interest in accepting Shields' challenge.
In other news, Shields recently announced that she is now a free agent after winning the heavyweight championship. Fans can only wait and see if a match between the two boxing greats will ever come to fruition in the future.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
