Claressa Shields sets 160-pound floor for Baumgardner fight hopes

Claressa Shields has set 160 pounds as the lowest weight at which she is willing to fight. Alycia Baumgardner, who has competed as high as 133 pounds, would therefore face a major jump if their long-running rivalry is ever settled in the ring.

Shields has also made clear that she does not want to discuss opponents below 154 pounds. She has said there is no need for her to move lower and that she earns the same millions while competing at heavyweight, where she previously fought above 170 pounds.

The position leaves little room for the proposed matchup. Baumgardner would have to accept a fight at middleweight, far above the division in which she has built her career as a unified super featherweight champion. Even if she made the limit, she could enter the ring naturally smaller than Shields.

Their rivalry has already produced a physical moment. The pair were involved in a backstage confrontation earlier this year that ended with Shields slapping Baumgardner, adding further intensity to one of women’s boxing’s most prominent feuds.

The dispute has also included a recent argument over fashion. Some people accused Shields of copying Baumgardner after she wore a feather-style jacket and a swimsuit similar to one previously used by her rival at a weigh-in. Shields rejected the criticism, pointing to her own use of fur-themed outfits and saying the swimsuit was publicly available.

A fight may have been more practical several years ago, when Shields could have considered 154 pounds, although Baumgardner would still have needed to move well beyond her usual weight. Shields now has alternatives closer to her size, including Olympic champion Lauren Price, with both fighters’ Olympic backgrounds adding commercial appeal.