Not everyone can sweep up the world of boxing quite like Claressa Shields. With eight championship belts across five weight classes plus two Olympic gold medals, she has established herself as the best female pound-for-pound boxer in the world. Katie Taylor‘s first career loss to Chantelle Cameron cleared any remaining doubts, leaving the GWOAT alone at the top.
Now, T-Rex stands on the verge of another historic moment, as she can become the first boxer male or female to be an undisputed champion in three weight categories. She has already clinched the undisputed title in the middleweight and light middleweight divisions and currently holds the WBC and WBF heavyweight titles. In just a few hours, she will not only put her titles on the line against Danielle Perkins, but will also fight for the vacant WBO, WBA, and IBF crowns. The duo will lock horns at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, marking Shields’ homecoming after four long years.
The Flint native has been fighting since she was 11 years old and never once has disappointed her fans. Surely, she won’t let her home crowd leave disappointed. After all, this city made her who she is today, and creating history here will be a defining moment in her career. So, before she steps back into the ring, here’s everything you need to know about the roots that made Claressa Shields the fighter she is today.
Claressa Shields’ ethnicity and nationality
Claressa Maria Shields was born on March 17, 1995, in Flint, Michigan, a city known as “Vehicle City.” Flint was a leading carriage and automobile manufacturing center from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century in the US. Despite being one of the hubs of the auto industry, the city faced constant economic challenges.
The auto industry has long since been shut down, and Claressa Shields has taken the mantle to put the city back on the map. She shares a deep profound connection with Flint and even turned down the opportunity to fight Perkins in major boxing centers like New York, and Las Vegas, just so that the historic match can happen in Flint.
Shields had a difficult childhood, but her African American heritage instilled resilience in her. She was destined for greatness, yet she knew she had to fight for it at every corner, which she did.
Claressa Shields’ early life
Shields’ father, Bo Shields, who had boxed in underground leagues, introduced her to boxing quite early. However, the 29-year-old couldn’t learn the craft from her father because Bo spent most of her childhood incarcerated. Even after his release, he was against his daughter’s boxing, as he believed that the sport belonged to men.
Her mother, Marcella Adams, struggled with personal issues and was going through d**g addiction. With both parents dealing with their own problems, Claressa Shields had no bed to sleep in, and it often led to a lack of food in their home. “I honestly don’t know what happened to the food stamps, but I think she sold them for drugs,” stated the 29-year-old while talking about her childhood. She was constantly harassed and there was no one to protect her. The physical and mental trauma made her unable to speak until she was 5 years old.
During the chaotic times, she found solace in boxing and started training at the Berston Field House in Flint under the guidance of coach Jason Crutchfield. Her grandmother played a pivotal role in encouraging her to pursue the sport despite her father’s and societal expectations.
Earlier, T-Rex was quite ashamed of her childhood and tried to hide it as much as she could. “I was getting asked about my childhood a lot once I started getting interviewed, but I just shortened the story. I didn’t really want to tell ’em much,” confessed Shields in a 2015 interview with Yahoo Sports. However, with time, she accepted that part of herself as well and has never looked back since.
She started dominating the amateur circuit from the get-go and qualified for the Olympics at the age of 17. The 2012 London Olympics was a successful outing for her as she won the gold medal in the 75kg category. She repeated the success at the 2016 Rio Olympics and became the first American boxer, male or female, to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals.
She had an impeccable amateur career with three AIBA World Championships in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Claressa Shields fought in the amateur circuit 78 times and her only loss came against Savannah Marshall in 2012—a loss she avenged when the duo met in 2022 for the undisputed middleweight title.
Growing up in an unstable family, where every day feels worse than the previous one, the GWOAT has had the fight in her blood. In a few hours, she will come back to her hometown after 4 years. With a packed crowd of almost 6,000 fans cheering her, creating history in Flint would be special for her. What about you? Do you think Claressa Shields was right to reject major venues and choose Flint? Let us know your thoughts down below.
The post Where Is Claressa Shields From? Ethnicity, Nationality, and More appeared first on EssentiallySports.
