Self-proclaimed “GWOAT” Claressa Shields produced a masterclass performance at the State Farm Arena on Saturday night, completing a grueling weight cut to stop Australia’s Kaye Scott in the sixth round and reclaim the WBA and WBC middleweight world titles.
Shields (19-0, 4 KOs), who holds world titles across five divisions and remains the undisputed champion at heavyweight, returned to the 160-pound division for the first time since June 2023. The 31-year-old American revealed post-fight that she shed 38 pounds over a 14-week training camp to make the middleweight limit.
The dramatic weight cut showed no ill effects inside the ring. Shields dictated the pace early with sharp jab-cross combinations and relentless body work to wear down the 42-year-old Australian champion.
The decisive moment came midway through the sixth round when Shields rocked Scott with a flush left hook followed by a straight right hand. With Scott stumbling against the ropes under a flurry of unanswered punches, her corner threw in the towel, prompting the referee to halt the bout.
“I think this was the most disciplined I’ve been since the Olympics,” Shields said in her post-fight interview. “I came out to show why I’m No. 1 pound-for-pound.”
Following the victory, Shields immediately set her sights on unifying the entire middleweight division by calling out IBF and WBO champion Tamm Thibeault, while also teasing a mega-fight against welterweight champion Lauren Price.