Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club – Interview with Claressa Shields

Release Date: May 21, 2025
Guest: Claressa Shields
Host: DJ Envy, Just Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God
Platform: iHeartPodcasts

1. Introduction and Upcoming Fight

The episode kicks off with DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God welcoming Claressa Shields, a dominant figure in women's boxing. Shields shares her excitement about her upcoming fight:

• Upcoming Fight Details:
  "July 26th at Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit against Lanny Daniels."
  (00:25)

• Anticipation for the Fight:
  Shields expresses confidence in her opponent and her readiness to defend her titles:
  "Always excited to fight a girl, man. Always excited. Defense some more. World championship. She got two belts."
  (00:31)

2. Selection of Opponents and Fight Strategy

The conversation delves into how Shields chooses her opponents and her approach to preparing for fights.

• Opponent Selection Process:
  Shields explains her method of selecting the best available fighters:
  "We just go whoever the best is. And then if the best turn us down, we go to second best. And then if second best, we go third best."
  (00:45)

• Challenges in Scheduling Fights:
  Shields discusses the difficulties in finding opponents, especially within her weight classes:
  "I'm champ at five different weight classes... girls who are fighting at 154 now wouldn't fight me."
  (01:03)

3. Overcoming Obstacles in Women's Boxing

Shields addresses the hurdles she has faced in the predominantly male sport of boxing, including lack of endorsement deals and the challenges of promoting women's boxing.

• Struggles with Endorsements and Visibility:
  Shields reflects on her early career struggles:
  "Back then, me being 17 years old, me being from Flint, Michigan... I didn't understand what the branding part of it was."
  (04:36)

• Balancing Appearance and Performance:
  Shields discusses the importance of appearance in boxing and how she manages it:
  "I have my hair braided... I have my wig on. I have my dress on. I have my makeup on."
  (05:57)
  "I'm not doing that... I'm wiping all the makeup off."
  (06:10)

• Promotion of Women's Boxing:
  Shields criticizes the promotion practices in women's boxing:
  "How they act like putting women on men's undercards doesn't help the women... If 20 million people tune in to see Anthony Joshua fight, I'm the co-main event."
  (21:17)

4. Personal Life and Relationships

Shields opens up about her personal life, including her relationship with Papoose and how it has influenced her.

• Meeting Papoose:
  Shields recounts how she met her partner:
  "We met at Shakur fight, July 6 last year... He's smooth, Cat, man."
  (29:00)

• Balancing Personal and Professional Life:
  Shields emphasizes the support she receives from Papoose:
  "We are together all the time... I have nothing to argue about."
  (28:14)

• Impact on Career:
  Shields outlines how her relationship has influenced her career choices and personal growth:
  "I'm trying to be like Beyoncé... Muhammad Ali."
  (23:02)

5. Controversies and Social Media Conflicts

The interview touches on Shields' interactions with other public figures and the challenges of maintaining her image amidst controversies.

• Conflict with Tsiki (from Baddies):
  Shields discusses rumors and her stance on fighting other reality TV personalities:
  "It was the fans that made that... I made a $100,000 challenge to if a girl can whip me, I will."
  (10:25)

• ESPN Trailblazer List Exclusion:
  Shields responds to being left off ESPN's trailblazer athletes list:
  "It didn't motivate me at all because I got a proof... I'm the most victorious person y' all, period."
  (51:15)

6. Mental Health and Personal Growth

Shields shares her journey towards mental well-being, highlighting the importance of boxing in her life.

• Role of Boxing in Managing Anger and Trauma:
  Shields explains how boxing helped her steer away from a possible life of crime:
  "Boxing helped me relieve some of that anger... Without boxing, I would have been street fighting."
  (07:36)

• Learning to Love Herself:
  Shields discusses her personal growth and self-love:
  "Loving myself better means you have to disconnect from things that don't love you."
  (36:06)

• Mental Health Challenges:
  Shields touches on her struggles with mental health during her teenage years:
  "I spent the majority of my teenage years... feeling absolutely terrified."
  (25:04)

7. Future Plans and Promotions

In the concluding segments, Shields outlines her future ambitions both within and outside the ring.

• Upcoming Fight and Fight Promotion:
  Shields promotes her fight against Lainey Daniels:
  "July 26th, main event at Little Caesar's Arena... Last fight I did 12,000. Let's go for 19,000."
  (34:31)
  Charlamagne reinforces the fight details:
  "That's right. Clarressa Shields. 7-26-16."
  (51:03)

• Plans to Start a Family:
  Shields reveals her intentions to begin a family after a few more fights:
  "I want to have two more fights this year and then shut it down for a minute... I will be having a kid, some kids soon."
  (41:50)

• Financial Management and Future Stability:
  Shields shares lessons learned about money management and the importance of financial stability:
  "Money management is a lost art in the black community... I learned about money management during COVID."
  (39:06)

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "I can say that, I was shocked, for one... I have to promote my movie, I promote my fight, and I just continue moving."
  (27:08)

• "I'm not going to give you my entire regimen of training... I'm never going to do that."
  (11:20)

• "Nothing feels better than winning."
  (44:40)

• "Why are you talking about me? You've never made a million dollars."
  (48:49)

• "Loving myself better means you have to disconnect from things that don't love you."
  (36:06)

Conclusion

The interview paints a comprehensive picture of Claressa Shields—not only as a formidable athlete but also as a resilient individual navigating personal challenges and public scrutiny. Her unwavering commitment to excellence in boxing, coupled with her dedication to personal growth and family, underscores her status as a trailblazer in women's sports.

Shields concludes by reiterating her dominance in the ring and her relentless pursuit of success:

• "I'm the most victorious person y' all, period."
  (51:15)

Tags: Claressa Shields, Women's Boxing, The Breakfast Club, iHeartPodcasts, Fight Promotion, Mental Health, Personal Growth, Family, Relationship with Papoose, Boxing Challenges, Social Media Conflicts