Three-weight undisputed champion Claressa Shields has compared an unbeaten world champion to the late, great Muhammad Ali.
Ali is widely considered to be one of, if not the greatest fighter to have ever laced up a pair of gloves. The Kentucky-native rose to prominence during the 1960s after his triumph at the Summer Olympic Games in Rome, which he walked away from with a light-heavyweight gold medal.
He would go on to win the world heavyweight championship on three occasions throughout the course of his professional career, racking up a number of legacy-defining victories over the likes of Joe Frazier, Sonny Liston and George Foreman along the way.
Ali’s outstanding yet unique fighting style had set him apart from the majority of his foes, proving himself to be arguably the greatest heavyweight in the sport’s history throughout the peak of his tenure.
Another American fighter that has began to make a name for himself in recent years is Shakur Stevenson, who currently holds the WBC world lightweight title.
Legendary female fighter Shields praised Stevenson in a recent interview, as she claims the unbeaten three-weight world champion is ‘cut from the same cloth’ as Ali.
“Don’t say nothing about Shakur. I been told y’all he was like that, don’t say nothing about Shakur Stevenson. He’s cut from that Muhammad Ali cloth … He’s cut from that and he can beat anybody, he can beat anybody for real.”
Stevenson made the most recent defence of his WBC lightweight crown back in July, extending his unbeaten record to 24-0 as he defeated Mexico’s William Zepeda via unanimous decision at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York City.
The 28-year-old from Newark is set to return to the ring in the early stages of 2026, with rumours circulating that he is set to make the move up to super-lightweight to challenge WBO world champion Teofimo Lopez in January.
