Claressa Shields Fires Back at Laila Ali, Says She’s “Hating on the Youth” [Video]

Claressa Shields is calling out Laila Ali again for allegedly being a hater, and this time, she’s bringing receipts. 

Video

In an over 20-minute YouTube video, the fighter shared her views on the boxing vet, who recently uploaded her own 28-minute explanation on October 16th, standing by her belief that Shields would never beat her.

“Laila Ali has been losing the fight against me for a very long time, and we all know when you start losing the fight, you go below the belt,” Shields began the video. 

According to the Michigan athlete, she never wanted to address Ali’s disses head-on out of respect for Black women. However, due to Ali “hating on the youth,” Shields felt compelled to call her out. 

Shields says the problems began when she was just a 16-year-old rookie fighter trying to get into the Olympics. Ali presented herself as a “big sister” of sorts, though this allegedly changed once Shields began to gain popularity. The 30-year-old says Ali urged her to remain an “amateur” due to the limited opportunities and money for women in boxing. Shields explained that she went against this advice, becoming the first woman to make $1 million in the sport.

Additionally, Shields included a previous interview that Ali conducted with The Breakfast Club, where she admitted she wouldn’t have taken Shields’ path. Ali also threw a bit of shade at women in fighting, declaring, “I don’t think there’s anyone there for me right now that would actually give me a good challenge.” This rubbed Shields wrong, who also called out Ali for making other mean comments toward retired UFC fighter Ronda Rousey. 

The feud between Ali and Shields has been bubbling for months, with Shields accusing Muhammad Ali’s daughter of ducking the smoke, despite an alleged $15 million offer to return to the ring. Ali has claimed she wasn’t aware of the offer until it went viral. 

The beef continues to make headlines, but the question remains: Will these fighters ever face off once and for all? Only time will tell.