Claressa Shields has made headlines by claiming she has a $15 million offer to entice Laila Ali out of retirement for a highly anticipated boxing match. However, questions arise regarding the legitimacy of this claim and the financial backing behind it.
Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and reigning world champion, announced her intentions in a video shared with TMZ Sports. She stated that Wynn Records, a company led by Ruben Branson, would finance the fight. Yet, no recognized fight promoter appears to be involved, raising doubts about the authenticity of the proposed deal.
In the video, Shields presents a novelty cheque as evidence of the funding, but the cheque is from a bank that does not exist at an address that cannot be verified. “Laila, I’m here with my team. I got some great news for you. We got the $15 million!” Shields enthusiastically declares, introducing the cheque. She continued, “Let’s make a fight between me and you. The best versus the best. The greats versus the greats. The GWOAT versus Muhammad Ali’s daughter, Laila Ali. Let’s make it happen.”
Ali’s Response and Context
Laila Ali, daughter of the legendary Muhammad Ali, has been out of the ring for 18 years and is now 47 years old. Recently, she re-emerged in the boxing community through her role as an analyst for the Netflix documentary on the Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano trilogy. In a previous interview with FightHype, Ali humorously set the $15 million figure as a potential starting point for discussions about a return to boxing.
“What I heard was that I said, ‘unless somebody got $15-20 million don’t even call me about this,’” Ali commented. She further clarified, “Unless somebody calls me and says they have it, we’re not even going to have a conversation. I’m not trying to come back and fight, but if someone offered that kind of money, I would actually have to think about it. Do I look like I could fight again? I think so.”
Potential Venues and Audience
Shields’ manager, Mark Taffet, mentioned possible venues for the fight, including the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, which can accommodate up to 105,000 spectators, and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with a maximum capacity of 20,000. The significant difference in potential audience size suggests a disparity in the scale of the event if it were to materialize.
As the boxing community watches closely, the feasibility of Shields’ claim remains uncertain. The lack of a credible promoter and the dubious nature of the financial backing raise concerns about the seriousness of the offer. Bloody Elbow has reached out to Laila Ali’s representatives to confirm if any legitimate offers have been made.
While the prospect of a match between Shields and Ali excites fans, the financial logistics and Ali’s long absence from competitive boxing present formidable challenges. Whether this proposed showdown moves beyond speculation to become a reality remains to be seen.
