Shields On Rise From Olympic Glory To Celebrity

Claressa Shields spent more than a decade as arguably the greatest women's boxer alive — and virtually nobody cared.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist won back-to-back golds in 2012 and 2016, becoming the first American boxer to accomplish that feat. She turned pro and methodically dismantled every opponent put in front of her. Yet the endorsements never came. The magazine covers went to others. The mainstream spotlight that follows most Olympic champions bypassed her entirely, ESPN reports.

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That all changed last February when Shields publicly confirmed her relationship with rapper Papoose at one of her fights. Since then, her profile has exploded into something approaching genuine superstardom. Social media posts about the couple — Shields a reigning champion, Papoose one of hip-hop's respected voices — routinely go viral for days. Fans and critics alike dissect her every move. Even Jake Paul weighs in.

Detroit Homecoming Caps Shields' Mainstream Breakthrough

Shields does not back down from the noise. She responds to trolls, corrects what she calls lies, and fires back at detractors with videos and quips. The result is a constant churn of attention, positive and negative, that keeps her name circulating far beyond boxing circles. "People just like me, or don't like me, I don't know, but they're obsessed with my lifestyle," Shields told ESPN ahead of her title defense.

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On February 22, roughly 18,000 fans are expected to pack Little Caesars Arena in Detroit to watch Shields face archrival Franchón Crews-Dezurn in the main event. It will mark a homecoming nine years in the making — Shields and Crews-Dezurn first met in Shields' 2017 pro debut on an undercard in Las Vegas. This time Shields is the draw. Some in attendance will cheer her brilliance in the ring. Others will boo the persona she has cultivated outside it.

Shields recently signed a reported multifight deal worth eight million dollars, including a three-million-dollar signing bonus. The contract reflects her new status as a crossover figure who commands attention whether she is lacing up gloves or posting on Instagram. Fourteen years after winning her first Olympic gold at age 17, Shields has the fame she always believed she deserved. The question now is whether the scrutiny that comes with it was worth the wait.

Source: espn.com