Shields Blasts Cyborg Over Sparring Quit
Claressa Shields claimed Cris Cyborg quit during a sparring session, escalating the trash talk between the two former training partners as a potential boxing match looms.
Shields told Ariel Helwani on his show this week that Cyborg could not handle her in the ring and begged her to stop after four rounds. The two-time Olympic gold medalist said she wore Nike shoes and no mouthpiece during the session, per BJPenn.com.
Shields Questions Cyborg's Boxing Ability
"I beat the [expletive] out of her, and I wasn't even trying," Shields said. She added that Cyborg was like a deer in the headlights in the fourth round and nearly begged her not to stop her.
Cyborg fired back on social media, proposing they meet at 154 pounds after their respective fights in August. Cyborg is set for her MMA finale next month at 145 pounds while Shields has a bout scheduled at 160. The former UFC featherweight champion wrote there are a thousand ways to say no to a fight and only one way to say yes.
Shields dismissed Cyborg's reported offer of two million dollars for the bout, telling Helwani she could beat the Brazilian with one hand. The boxing superstar and MMA legend have teased a crossover fight for months, including a tense encounter at a fan expo earlier this year.
Photo: Kevin Paul / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Original reporting:
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