Club Shay Shay – Claressa Shields (Part 2)

Podcast: Club Shay Shay
Host: Shannon Sharpe
Guest: Claressa Shields
Date: November 19, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode of Club Shay Shay, NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe sits down for part two of an in-depth conversation with undisputed women's boxing champion Claressa Shields. The pair cover a wide spectrum: Shields' experiences with body image and public perception, her perspective on money, family, and legacy, rivalries in and out of the ring, crossover combat opportunities, social media challenges, her personal life, and her views on women's sports and self-worth. Shields’ wit, candor, and unapologetic confidence shine as she shares her journey and sets the record straight on several hot topics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pressure, Body Image, and Judgement in the Public Eye

• Facing Body Shaming & Cosmetic Surgery Pressure (02:42)
  • Claressa addresses recent pressures she has faced over her body, discussing both societal and industry expectations.
  • She has been told to get cosmetic surgeries to fit a certain appearance, but she remains unapologetically herself.
  • Quote: "I think my face is perfect. But these are just haters." (Claressa, 02:40)
  • She talks about rumors surrounding athletes getting body-enhancing surgeries and prefers self-improvement through training, sharing her fear of needles and surgeries.

2. Career Ambitions & Rivalries

• Making Boxing History & Managing Money (05:05)

  • Claressa reflects on becoming the first woman to earn a million dollars from a boxing match and discusses her purchases and financial prudence.
    • Quote: "I went and bought the Camaro. I went and got my kitchen redone in my house. That was in Flint." (05:51)
  • She addresses pressure from family and learning to say "no," choosing to save for her future and her niece and nephews.

• Possible Fights and Weight Classes (04:25; 04:33)

  • Shields is open to dropping weight classes to collect more belts, unconcerned with titles currently held by others—unless they call her out.

• Rivalry with Laila Ali (11:47–17:11)

  • Claressa clarifies that her much-publicized rivalry with Laila Ali stems from Ali’s public assertions of dominance, not generational disrespect.
    • Quote: "She said she can beat me. I said she can't. We should fight. That's it." (Claressa, 15:56)
  • Shields claims she’s not pursuing the fight for clout but as a matter of competitive pride, and feels the drama is blown out of proportion.

3. Boxing, MMA, Business, and Crossover Fighting

• Transitioning to and from MMA (08:52–10:26)

  • Shields discusses her 2–1 MMA record and why, despite proving herself, she prefers boxing due to higher earnings and her ability.
    • Quote: "I made millions to do a job that I'm the greatest at." (Claressa, 09:06)

• Prospects for WWE (10:34)

  • Expresses interest in WWE, sharing her connections with top women wrestlers and hinting at possible crossover opportunities.
    • Quote: "Me and Bianca said that we're gonna do something one day. So, yeah, I know that I'm gonna have a life in WWE." (10:34)

• Crossover Fight Discussions (Jake Paul, YouTubers, etc.) (18:49–31:15)

  • Shields jokes about wanting to spar Jake Paul, asserting her willingness to face cross-industry challengers if the opportunity is right.
  • Analyzes the Tank Davis vs. Jake Paul fight prospect, weighing size and skills.

4. Boxing Legacy vs. Money

• Debting Boxing’s Direction and Legacy (25:20–29:45)

  • Shields and Sharpe lament that fighters today chase money over legacy, unlike past generations. Shields notes for women, "Legacy is what pays the bills."
  • Critiques social media-driven hype versus tangible achievements.
    • Quote: "Real life matters. Stuff you can touch, tangible. Yes, it matters." (Claressa, 28:15)

• Upcoming Fights & Paydays (89:13)

  • Announces plans for a major fight January 24th at State Farm Arena, Atlanta, against Franchón Crews, re-signing for $8 million.

5. Inside the Sport: Health, Training, and Sacrifice

• Injuries and Training Through Adversity (80:22–82:09)

  • Describes fighting with significant injuries, particularly a frozen shoulder, and the extreme commitment needed due to the scarcity of high-stakes opportunities in women’s boxing.
    • Quote: "I don't blow opportunities. So with that, I fought through that one unanimously." (Claressa, 81:34)

• Making Weight and Nutrition (82:09–84:33)

  • Shares her disciplined approach to weight cuts, utilizing a full nutrition team and focusing on year-round healthy habits to avoid drastic cuts and fatigue.
  • Cautions about risks of severe dehydration in weight cuts that can leave fighters "in the ring at 50%, 40%." (84:33)

• Views on Abstinence and Fight Preparation (86:09–88:59)

  • Claims she abstains from sex six weeks before fights for focus and peak performance, based on her own experience with training fatigue.

6. Women, Image, and Social Media

• Social Media's Double-Edged Sword (52:16–56:00)

  • Shields shares challenges with trolls and especially negativity from other women online, noting men tend to be more supportive.
    • Quote: "Men love me on social media ... I don't know what done got into these women, but they are the problem." (Claressa, 52:33)
  • She discusses detoxing from social media, being viral for random things, and choosing to ignore haters.

• Beauty and Authenticity in the Ring (55:02–56:08)

  • Discusses expectations for appearance and how she strips down to her authentic self before a fight:
    • Quote: "As soon as we get in the locker room, I grab my makeup wipe ... I wipe it all off, right? Eyebrows, lashes, edges. I wipe it all off. Take the wig off and everything. It's time to fight." (Claressa, 56:00)

7. Personal Life and Relationships

• Future Family Plans (07:28; 58:16–60:07)

  • Shields hopes to have children soon, inspired by athlete-mothers like Serena Williams.
  • Plans to keep training while pregnant: "I feel like when I'm carrying, I'M gonna be in the gym working out still, because I don't want to lose everything that I got." (60:07)

• Romance and Privacy (61:41–73:06)

  • Details her relationship with Pap—how it began organically through friendship, built through texting and mutual admiration.
  • She laughs about refusing to date athletes or celebrities, only to wind up with a well-known rapper.
  • Maintains she doesn’t want a partner “up under” her all the time, needing mutual independence for her career.

8. Music & Culture

• Music and Fight Preparation (74:50–80:16)

  • Shares how her pre-fight playlist depends on her mood—gospel to calm nerves, trap rap to hype up, always artists who make her feel empowered.
  • Dream walkout: "Beyoncé walked me out to the fight. My life is complete." (79:40)

• Cultural Impact & Visibility (73:11; 74:26)

  • Talks about singing at a Summer Walker concert and her desire to do Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition.

9. Behind the Scenes: Coaches & Sparring

• On Loyalty and Changing Coaches (91:52–95:08)

  • Explains the emotional difficulty of changing coaches, comparing personal loyalty to that of a familial bond, and sharing her dislike for betrayal.

• Sparring the Best (Sparring Men) (95:14–98:01)

  • Shields prefers sparring men ("the good ones") to test her skills at a higher level.
  • Names Errol Spence and Shakur Stevenson as her toughest sparring partners:
    • Quote: "Can I hit Shakur? Can't hit him. I'm like ... I could not catch this man." (Claressa, 97:57)
  • Shares that sparring men keeps her sharper and better prepared for elite competition.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I gotta get all the fighting out of me before I stop fighting or I'll be in jail." (Claressa, 08:10)
• "I just know that for my next fight, I'm gonna cut up. I'm gonna come more." (04:18)
• "Women’s boxing, you don’t make no money unless you got legacy." (26:44)
• "If she think that she can just come out of retirement after not fighting all these years and beat me, she in for a rude awakening." (15:56)
• "After the fight, I take care of the injuries. You know what I'm saying? I do what I have to do to get through the fight—as most fighters do." (80:44)
• "Men love me on social media ... I don't know what done got into these women, but they are the problem." (52:33)
• "I am a disguised killer." (Claressa, 58:15)
• "I'm not ever gonna let an enhancement stop me from performing my job. My job is to whoop ass." (56:02)

Key Timestamps

| Time | Segment / Topic | |-----------|----------------| | 02:42 | Pressure for cosmetic surgery & body image | | 05:05 | Becoming the first female boxing millionaire, financial habits | | 11:47 | Laila Ali rivalry, backstory and Shields' POV | | 25:20 | Boxing legacy vs. money, generational changes | | 31:15 | Evaluating boxing vs. crossover fights (Jake Paul, etc.) | | 38:16 | Bud Crawford's greatness and his fight with Canelo | | 52:33 | Social media: negativity, women critics vs. men, coping | | 55:02 | Shields’ “realness” on fight night and makeup authenticity | | 58:16 | Family and having kids while maintaining a career | | 61:41 | Relationship with Pap, public vs. private romance | | 74:50 | Singing at Summer Walker concert | | 79:40 | Dream walkout artist: Beyoncé | | 80:22 | Training with & through injuries | | 83:00 | Making weight safely in boxing | | 86:09 | Abstaining from sex before fights—practice & rationale | | 91:52 | Wanting her biopic to showcase her grown-up, post-Fame life | | 95:14 | Sparring men for better preparation, listing partners |

Conclusion

Through candid storytelling and quick-fire exchanges, Claressa Shields offers fans a compelling look at life as an elite athlete: the victories, the scrutiny, the drive for legacy, and the deeply personal choices behind the public persona. Whether breaking barriers in the ring, mentoring the next generation, or choosing authenticity online and off, Shields remains a model for resilience and ambition in women’s sports—with plenty more history yet to make.