LAILA ALI, hall of fame boxer, speaking on a panel on August 24, 2023. IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Laila Ali Exposes ‘Malicious’ Clarissa Shields Amid Fight Callout

Originally posted on KO on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Oct 16, 2025 4:53 PM ET

When speaking with interviewers in July, women's boxing legend Laili Ali (who is the daughter of Muhammad Ali) said, "Unless somebody has $15, $20 million, don't even call me," about a potential fight against female pound-for-pound top boxer and Olympic gold medalist, Claressa Shields.

There has been speculation about Ali (who hasn't fought since 2007, when she retired with an undefeated 24-0 record) potentially fighting against Shields for years, largely because they're the two biggest names in boxing's heavier female divisions.

In fact, both of these women have spoken about potentially fighting each other publicly countless times, including on various talk shows and interviews. While this chatter had died down in recent years, what Ali said about the $15 million fee to fight Shields prompted Shields to pose with a giant $15 million check that's addressed to Ali by name, which got both sides talking once again.

IMAGO / Future Image

Shields was also quoted in a video from TMZ in July, saying, "Let's make a fight between me and you. The best versus the best. The greats versus the greats. The GWOAT versus Muhammad Ali's daughter, Laila Ali. Let's make it happen."

Laila Ali Shreds Claressa Shields For Having "Malicious Nature"

While Ali still hadn't offered an official response to whether she'll actually fight Shields for $15 million, she did put Shields on blast during an October 16 video on her YouTube channel.

After speaking about how she once gave Shields praise, a spotlight, and advice about both inside and outside of the ring in the past, Ali then added, "Of course, at the time, I was not aware of [Shields'] divisive, vindictive, and malicious nature. And I know those are strong words, but they actually fit."

She went on to post several clips of interviews where Shields was calling Ali out, diminishing her impact and legacy in women's boxing, and doing things that she thought would entice Ali to come out of retirement and fight her.

The video is worth the nearly 30-minute watch.

While Ali spent the entire 30-minute video detailing her beef with Claressa Shields and noting all the ways she has felt wronged by Shields over the years, she said at the end of the video that fans would need to wait for part two to release for Ali to reveal whether she'll be fighting Shields.

What's for sure is that Shields will want to fight Ali even more than she already does after hearing these comments.

This article first appeared on KO on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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