Association of Boxing Commissions calls Michigan's treatment of Claressa Shields 'overkill'
Feb 24, 2025 • 12:06 PM ET
The head of the Association of Boxing Commissions told BoxingScene on Monday that the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission is wrong to suspend – or even scold – women’s heavyweight champion Claressa Shields over a mouth-swab test that revealed the presence of marijuana.
The commission tested two-time Olympic gold medalist Shields following her heavyweight victory in her hometown of Flint, Michigan, on February 2, identifying the swab test as positive and issuing a condemning statement afterward.
“Ms. Shields’ conduct as a licensed professional boxer constitutes an immediate threat to the integrity of professional boxing, the public interest and the welfare and safety of professional athletes,” the Michigan commission previously wrote.
The ABC president Michael Mazzuli labeled that statement “overkill”, and called on the commission to immediately reveal its findings relating to Shields, a three-time undisputed champion whose bout on February 2 followed the release of the uplifting film about her life, “The Fire Inside”.
“We would like to know what the amount of marijuana in the system was – the nanogram level,” Mazzuli said. “My understanding is it was a swab test – therefore, there is no nanogram level.
“We feel the fighter should not be stripped of any title. In fact, numerous states and tribal commissions no longer test for marijuana, and mine [the Mohegan Sun (Connecticut) commission] is one of them. The sport has to change with industry and today’s standards.”
Mazzuli once threw out a positive test for marijuana from a fighter from Colorado because the fighter hailed from a state where marijuana use is legalized.
Cannabis use is legal in Michigan following an initiative in 2018.
Michigan’s commission has its own set of issues, including drawing criticism from other regulators for permitting some promoters to have a voice in appointing officials for fights in the state.
“And they’re concerned about a marijuana result using a swab test?” Mazzuli asked.
“You can’t blame the promoters. You can blame a system that’s broken within the state of Michigan.”
Shields defeated Perkins via unanimous decision, over 10 rounds.
Lance Pugmire has been a full-time boxing writer for nearly 20 years, serving now as BoxingScene’s U.S. Senior Writer and assistant producer for ProBoxTV’s “BoxingScene Today.” Pugmire capped a near 20-year career at the Los Angeles Times (sports investigations, NHL/MLB beat work, law enforcement/courts and boxing/UFC) to join The Athletic, and then USA Today. Pugmire’s stint at The Times started with the first Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez fight and the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jnr then-record pay-per-view, leading through a slew of ringside assignments at major bouts, including Mayweather-Pacquiao, Mayweather-Canelo and the Canelo-Golovkin trilogy. Lance’s appreciation for boxing is rooted in his admiration and appreciation for the fighters, gladiators who have proven to be the most forthcoming and candid of all the athletes he has interviewed over a career dating to 1990. Lance was honored to be named the 2022 winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence and he’s collected many BWAA writing awards in categories ranging from breaking news to deep-dive long features.
