Claressa Shields Secures $15 Million for Laila Ali Superfight

A long-hyped dream fight between two of boxing’s most iconic women just got one giant step closer to reality.

Claressa Shields, the self-proclaimed “GWOAT” (Greatest Woman of All Time), just called out Laila Ali with a game-changing announcement: the $15 million purse Ali demanded is officially on the table.

In a video sent to TMZ Sports, Shields made her challenge crystal clear:

“Laila, I’m here with my team. I got some great news for you. We got the $15 million! Let’s make a fight between me and you. The best versus the best. The GWOAT versus Muhammad Ali’s daughter, Laila Ali. Let’s make it happen.”

Backing Shields’ bold move is Ruben Branson’s Wynn Records, which has committed to bankrolling the mega-fight. To prove it, Shields’ camp even presented a massive check — both literally and financially — made out to Ali.

The fight chatter reignited following the record-breaking Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano bout at Madison Square Garden. In an interview with FightHype, Ali addressed the long-standing talk of a comeback after nearly 20 years out of the ring, saying:

“Unless somebody calls me and says they have [$15 to $20 million], we’re not even gonna have a conversation.”

Well, somebody called.

Both Shields and Ali are undefeated in their professional careers — Shields is 16-0, while Ali retired at 24-0. Despite Ali’s retirement status, the rivalry between the two has brewed for years. It first exploded in 2019 when Ali dismissed the notion that Shields could ever beat her. Shields fired back, criticizing Ali’s level of past competition and doubling down on her belief that she’d dominate.

But now, what once seemed like fantasy could be headed for the ring.

Shields’ team claims they’ve locked down two premiere venues — T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and AT&T Stadium in Dallas — and even have tentative fight dates, though none have been publicly revealed yet.

Shields closed her video message with a final mic drop:

“So you’re saying we got the $15 million. We got the venue, and we got the dates. Now all we need is Laila Ali. Are you gonna make the fight happen or what? You asked for $15 million and we delivered.”

Now the ball’s in Laila’s court. Will she step back into the ring for one last historic showdown — or leave the GWOAT challenge unanswered?