Claressa Shields made a powerful return to middleweight on Sunday, stopping Kaye Scott in the sixth round to reclaim the WBA and WBC titles in Atlanta.
Shields dropped three classes to face 42-year-old Scott of Australia, who had just eight professional bouts under her belt. The five-division world champion dominated from the start, shifting through the gears to seal a fourth career stoppage win.
Shields credited her disciplined training camp for her success, having cut 38 pounds from her weight. She started at 198 pounds 14 weeks ago and got down to 160. "I was actually just trying to figure [Scott] out," Shields said. "She was stronger than I thought."
Shields' hand speed and accuracy were too much for Scott, who was weakened by a flurry of body shots in the fifth round. In the following round, Shields put Scott on the ropes with a vicious left hook, and the fight was soon ended.
The victory marked Shields' return to middleweight for the first time since 2023. She now holds a professional record of 19-0, with Wales' Lauren Price in her sights for a potential fight in December or January. Shields said, "She's only had five fights as a professional, but she's got belts. It's not my fault these girls don't have the experience that I have. She's got a belt that I know belongs to me – and that's the Ring belt."
Shields, an Olympic champion in 2012 and 2016, had a particularly tough camp to make the weight cut. "It was a hard camp," she said. "I always tell myself that everything is easy work, but it was a really hard camp." Shields' next move will be crucial in determining her next opponent, with several possibilities on the table.
Shields has already suggested that she would like to face welterweight champion Lauren Price, or Canadian middleweight Tamm Thiebault, who holds the IBF, WBO, and Ring middleweight belts. With Shields' sights set on Price, it remains to be seen if the two will meet in December or January.
Source: Yahoo Sports