Claressa Shields wants to test Jake Paul in the ring.
Jake Paul and Claressa Shields have had a fair bit to say about each other in recent months. With Paul transforming himself into one of the larger attractions in boxing this year, his name was often brought up in interviews featuring Shields—one of the best boxers on the planet, who recently shifted over to MMA.
Shields began by laughing off anything regarding Paul. But did snap back when asked if she would ever appear on a Paul undercard. She said the idea that she, a multiple world champion and Olympian, would play second fiddle to a 4-0 influencer was insulting.
Shields would later tell media that if she and Paul ever fought, she would “embarrass” the ‘Problem Child’ with one hand tied behind her back.
This comment came before Shields suffered a loss at PFL 10, the first defeat of her pro combat sports career.
It came as no surprise that this loss was met with a comment from Paul. Who said, online, that “The fake always get exposed”. He also called Shields a “prima donna”.
Shields’ latest volley at Paul comes via Sports Illustrated. There the two-time Olympic champion revealed that she has tabled a lucrative offer for Paul, should he dare get in the ring with her.
“You still suck at boxing. You still don’t have no accomplishments. You still wouldn’t get in the ring with me, let alone spar.”
Boxing star @Claressashields rips @jakepaul to @AshNicoleMoss pic.twitter.com/HsXas0JxZX
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 17, 2021
“He isn’t even going to take an offer to come and spar me,” she said (ht MMA News). “I have put $100,000 on the table. And whoever wins in sparring can walk away with the money. And I bet you will all I will walk away with the dough, Jake Paul would not risk it. Nobody on his team would tell him to risk it, because they know he can’t do anything with me. Despite all of my accomplishments I had this MMA split decision loss, and he was like ‘Amanda Serrano is better, she’s this and that’. You don’t even have an accomplishment to say my name.
“You’ve never been to the Olympics. What did you make the Olympics on YouTube? That shit don’t exist. That’s fake. When it comes to the real world of boxing, Jake Paul will never be no world champion. He can just keep picking his opponents. Him coming at me, it made him feel better about himself, you still suck at boxing. You still don’t have no accomplishments. You still wouldn’t dare get in the same ring with me, let alone spar. And, he’s just not even worth wasting my breath. The dude is pathetic.”
The idea of a $100K intergender sparring match might sound ridiculous. However, in combat sports stranger things have happened (and will happen again).
Shields is due back in the boxing ring on December 11. There she’ll face Ema Kozin to defend the WBA, WBC, IBF and The Ring middleweight titles.
A week later Paul is scheduled for his next dalliance in the squared circle, too. On December 18 he is set to face Tommy Fury, his first ever opponent with an existing pro boxing record.