Shields On Price, Marshall, And Heavyweight Return

Claressa Shields stopped Kaye Scott in six rounds Saturday in Atlanta to claim the WBA and WBC middleweight belts, but the bigger question is where the two-time Olympic champion goes next. At 31 and undefeated, Shields has already been undisputed in multiple divisions and beaten nearly every name available. The fight that moves her career forward now matters more than another routine title defense.

Ring Magazine columnist Rick Reeno broke down five live options, with unbeaten Welshwoman Lauren Price carrying the most momentum. Shields and Price have already come face-to-face to promote a possible early-2027 showdown at middleweight. Price would move up from welterweight, but the Olympic gold medalist has made clear she wants the fight. The storyline writes itself — America against Britain, two undefeated Olympic champions with enough profile to sell the event without heavy promotional lifting.

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Thibeault Holds Undisputed Key At Middleweight

If Shields wants another undisputed run before facing Price, Tammara Thibeault makes sense as an interim target. The undefeated Canadian holds the Ring, IBF, and WBO middleweight titles, meaning a Shields-Thibeault bout would unify five belts. Thibeault is a big southpaw with extensive amateur credentials and, at 29, should be entering her prime. The commercial appeal trails Price or Savannah Marshall, but from a pure boxing standpoint Thibeault represents the most logical challenge available.

Marshall remains permanently attached to Shields' career as the one opponent who beat her — an amateur loss that followed both women into the pros. Shields settled the professional score in 2022 with a unanimous decision to become undisputed middleweight champion, but a rematch would carry more personal history than almost anything else on the table. The difficulty is finding a reason fans would believe the second fight plays out differently. Shields also remains undisputed heavyweight champion and could return to that division, though she has already stopped Danielle Perkins and Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse and credible challengers have not emerged fast enough.

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The wild card is Mikaela Mayer, who faces Chantelle Cameron on August 29 for Ring, WBC, and WBO junior middleweight titles. Mayer has never hidden her interest in major fights, and a clash with Shields would bring together two of the most recognizable American women in boxing. The obvious obstacle is weight — Mayer has spent most of her career well below middleweight — but the right financial opportunity has closed bigger gaps before. Shields has earned the luxury of choosing what her next chapter looks like, and the options are finally starting to match her résumé.

Source: ringmagazine.com