Shields reclaims middleweight titles by brutal TKO
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- Claressa Shields stopped Kaye Scott at 1:38 of the sixth round Saturday at State Farm Arena in Atlanta to reclaim the WBC and WBA middleweight championships, improving to 19-0 (4 KOs).
- Shields cut 38 pounds — from 198 down to 160 — to return to middleweight for the first time since 2023, calling it "the most disciplined I've been since the Olympics."
- Scott (5-2-1), making her first title defense at age 42, absorbed a giant welt on her forehead by early in Round 2 before her corner threw in the towel following a hellacious left hook.
- Shields is ESPN's No. 1 pound-for-pound women's boxer, a five-division champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist (2012, 2016), and the only woman to hold undisputed titles across three weight classes.
- Shields called out unified welterweight champion Lauren Price and WBO/IBF middleweight titleholder Tamm Thibeault as her preferred next opponents.
- Shields entered as the undisputed women's heavyweight champion after a unanimous decision win over Franchon Crews-Dezurn in February, her fourth straight heavyweight bout.
- Shields praised Scott's strength but said she conserved energy early because "I'm not as strong as I feel at 175 [pounds]" after the drastic weight cut.
Why it matters: Shields' 38-pound weight cut and middleweight title reclamation extend her case as the most decorated woman in boxing history — now undisputed across three weight classes. The win keeps potential megafights against Lauren Price and Tamm Thibeault alive and reinforces her pound-for-pound No. 1 status at age 29.
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