Claressa Shields makes dominant return to middleweight after stopping Kaye Scott
The undefeated boxing champion returned to 160 pounds for the first time since 2023 and made quick work of Kaye Scott in Atlanta.
Claressa Shields made sure her return to middleweight came with a little Atlanta flair.
With Latto joining her for her walk to the ring at State Farm Arena, Shields entered Saturday night’s fight ready to put on a show. A few rounds later, she had two championship belts back in her possession.
Shields stopped Australia’s Kaye Scott in the sixth round, reclaiming the WBA and WBC middleweight titles and improving her undefeated professional record to 19-0.
The win marked Shields’ first fight at 160 pounds since 2023, and getting there was no small feat.
According to ESPN, Shields dropped roughly 38 pounds during a 14-week training camp to make middleweight for the first time since 2023. She entered the fight as the undisputed heavyweight champion, meaning she had to come down three weight classes to face Scott.
Once the fight started, though, Shields looked comfortable.
She used her speed and combinations to take control early and consistently beat Scott to the punch. By the sixth round, Shields had her opponent in trouble. She scored a knockdown and continued pressing after Scott got back to her feet. Scott’s corner eventually threw in the towel, ending the fight.
The stoppage stands out for Shields, whose dominance has often come through lopsided decision victories rather than knockouts. It marked the fourth stoppage of her professional career and her first in two years.
It also gave Shields another accomplishment in a career already filled with them.
The Flint, Michigan, native is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and has won world titles in five weight classes. She has also become undisputed champion at junior middleweight, middleweight and heavyweight, establishing herself as one of the most decorated fighters in women’s boxing.
Saturday’s fight carried some history of its own. Shields and Scott headlined the first women’s boxing main event at State Farm Arena, another milestone for a fighter who has spent much of her career pushing women’s boxing onto bigger stages.
Now the attention turns to what comes next.
One name that continues to follow Shields is Lauren Price. The undefeated British fighter has openly expressed interest in a matchup, and Shields has said the fight could happen in 2027. A bout between the two would give Shields another high-profile opponent as she continues moving between divisions.
For now, however, Shields has unfinished business at middleweight.
After the victory, she made it clear she intends to keep adding to her collection and further unify the division. Canada’s Tammara Thibeault is also among the names being discussed as a possible future opponent.
Shields has spent years calling herself the GWOAT, short for “Greatest Woman of All Time.” At this point, the nickname is less about promotion than it is about the résumé she continues to build.