DOUBLE OLYMPIC GOLD medalist and two-weight professional world champion Claressa Shields believes that herself and Katie Taylor are the two best female boxers on the planet, in no particular order.
Shields has in her own right stormed through the punch-for-pay ranks since turning over two days before Taylor in October 2016.
The 23-year-old has won unified titles at both super-middleweight and middleweight in just six fights as a professional, and like Taylor, has already taken a women’s fight to the top of a televised bill.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of Friday’s defence of her middleweight world titles against Hannah Rankin of Scotland, Shields opined that Taylor — and not undisputed welterweight queen Cecilia Braekhus — is her nearest rival in the pound-for-pound stakes.
Indeed, she finds it hard to separate herself and Taylor at top spot.
“Katie Taylor is a great fighter,” said Shields. “She’s really good.”
She’s fast, she’s strong, she’s dominating all her fights. People may like her style better, people might like my style better, but we’re definitely one and two.
“I think we have a different boxing style. We’re similar in some ways, but we have different styles. I think I’m more aggressive than she is, but she’s still aggressive and dominates fights, just as I do.
“I think that [Shields v Taylor] would be a dream match-up, but too bad we’re too far apart in weight,” Shields added.
“The lowest I’ll go is 154lbs, and I think the highest she’ll ever go is probably 140lbs.”
“I don’t think the fight will ever be made, but me and her are definitely neck and neck as far as people may like her style better, people might like my style better, but we’re definitely one and two.”
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