NEW YORK – There were a number of reasons why Claressa Shields called New York’s boxing media press corps to an upscale Asian fusion restaurant in midtown Manhattan on Thursday.
Eight million reasons, to be exact.
The self-declared GWOAT added a new accomplishment to her trailblazing resume, announcing that she had signed the most lucrative multi-fight promotional contract in women’s boxing history. The deal, worth at least $8 million for four fights over two years, will likely make the two-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time undisputed champion the highest-paid female boxer in history. The deal includes a $3 million signing bonus, Shields adds, while promoter Dmitriy Salita says that the deal could be worth much more depending on how well the events sell.
The deal sees Shields continue on with Salita Promotions, which she first signed with as a 2-0 pro in 2017, while Wynn Records – the label where her boyfriend, New York rapper Shamele “Papoose” Mackie, serves as creative director – will come on as a co-promoter. Shields says she tested the market for the first time ever as a free agent, and learned more about her value as a result.
“I learned that I do have a lot of value, and that I'm a great person to work with, and that all, ‘Oh, I can't sell tickets’ and stuff, it's a myth, and that I'm highly respected by all these promoters. They may say one thing up on social media, or be a certain way, but they also know who the best is and what I can bring to the table,” said Shields, 17-0 (3 KOs), who added that she had met with promoters such as Most Valuable Promotions, which has the most expansive roster of female boxers in the sport, and Matchroom Boxing, among others.
“I think that Salita and Wynn together are very, very powerful, and that was the best fit for me, because they came with the money,” Shields said. “And they came with the vision, and they also came with just knowing how important I am, and already knowing what I can do.”
Salita says that he feels that Shields exploring the free-agent market strengthened their relationship, and now he’s looking forward to what he feels will be their best chapter together.
“Claressa and I are friends outside the ring,” Salita said. “When I first met her at Berston Field House in Flint [MIchigan], I brought her flowers and a box of chocolates for our first meeting. Today, she has received a multi-million dollar signing bonus and signed a record-breaking deal for women's boxing.”
In addition to Papoose, Wynn Records also features artists like singers Cuhdeejah and Emmerson, plus rapper King Los. Shields is the first athlete signed to the label.
“All the connections with the culture,” said Shields of what made adding Wynn Records to the equation attractive.
“Wynn Records has access to whatever celebrity you can think of. They can invite them to the fights, and they will come. They have great relationships. They already know how my boxing fights work. We are also collaborating together on how to make an event bigger. So it's not just my brain, it's their brains, too – even though I've been doing it for a very long time, me and Salita. But I feel like Wynn Records, they understand the big picture.”
With regards to whom Shields would like to share a ring with next, she named a number of top fighters around the highest weight classes in women’s boxing, including Shadasia Green, the unified super middleweight champion from Paterson, New Jersey; and Franchón Crews-Dezurn, holder of the other two titles at super middleweight, whom Shields already defeated in their pro debuts back in 2016. Also mentioned was Che Kenneally, the Australian with a 5-0 (2 KOs) record who holds the WBA light heavyweight title (though Kenneally hasn’t fought since winning the title in July 2024).
Shields also named former unified junior welterweight champion Chantelle Cameron, whom Shields notes has said in the past would potentially move up in weight to meet her. Perhaps most interestingly, Shields brought up unified junior middleweight champion Mikaela Mayer, who dominated Mary Spencer last week to win three of the four major titles at 154lbs.
“We've always talked about fighting for the past two years, even though, at first, I'm like, that's somebody who I would never fight,” said Shields of a potential fight with her 2016 Olympics teammate Mayer, 22-2 (5 KOs). “When I said that, she called me out and said that she would fight me, which I was very shocked.
“I mean, hey, she’s competitive and she's respectful about it. She thinks she can beat me up in a fight, and her coach thinks that. I think the complete opposite, and I know that it's the opposite, but I think that if Mikaela is willing to test herself and train and get prepared, and I'm also willing to train and get prepared, I think that it'll be a firefight. I will come out on top, she’ll get knocked out, but I think that she'll put up a hell of a fight before she go.”
Mayer told BoxingScene last week that, though she didn't cut any weight to weigh in at 151lbs for the Spencer fight in Montreal, she could potentially entertain a fight at a higher weight.
“I'm just kind of crazy like that. If there was an opportunity at 160 that made sense, I wouldn't necessarily say no to that,” said Mayer.
Salita added that Savannah Marshall, the British fighter whom Shields defeated in 2022 to avenge her lone amateur loss, could also be an opponent to revisit. And he hasn’t closed the door completely on an inter-generational meeting with Laila Ali, the former WBC super middleweight champion who retired in 2007 with a record of 24-0 (21 KOs). Salita said that he has heard reports that the 47-year-old Ali has been in the boxing gym again, though he admits that's a big step from being ready to fight the 30-year-old undisputed heavyweight champion.
“The big elephant in the room is Laila Ali,” said Salita. “Will that happen? We certainly want it to happen. Laila goes back and forth. She shouldn't do it if she doesn't feel that she could win. But if she feels that she can win, which I believe is the only way that she will do it, then it's going to be the biggest event, men or women, since her father’s fights.”
Shields, who says she wants to retire at the age of 38, has proven to be a significant draw in her home state of Michigan, where she has fought her past four fights – either in Detroit or her hometown of Flint. She said that she hopes to fight at iconic boxing venues like New York’s Madison Square Garden, where Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano drew the biggest live gate in women's boxing for their third meeting in July, and Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Her biggest dream, she said, is to headline at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Salita adds that other venues are possible, such as Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, if Shields were to fight Green or another fighter from there.
“Claressa is not shy about going to the opponent's backyard. She went to England to beat Savannah Marshall,” said Salita, adding that Shields could also fight in Atlanta, where she currently lives.
Following the announcement, Shields and team celebrated with a champagne toast, with flutes of bubbly being passed around the dining room at the Sei Less restaurant to reporters and camera operators.
Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for BoxingScene.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at ryansongalia@gmail.com or on Twitter at @ryansongalia.
