There are very few active fighters in any weight class who can say what Claressa Shields says — and mean every word of it. "I beat everybody. It doesn't matter the name that you put. Claressa versus whoever, I beat them." Bold? Yes. Wrong? Not yet.
Shields is fresh off her 19th straight professional victory, stopping Kaye Scott this month to become a middleweight world champion for the third time. Floyd Mayweather was watching ringside as she did it. The comparison isn't lost on Shields, who has made no secret that retiring with a perfect record is the goal — though she's aiming for around 30 fights rather than Mayweather's 50.
Price First, Mayer Second
The fight Shields actually wants is Lauren Price. She came down in weight specifically with that matchup in mind — two Olympic gold medallists, British and American, a genuinely compelling narrative that writes itself. Those talks are ongoing.
But if Price doesn't materialise as the next opponent, Shields has made clear she'd happily redirect her attention to Mikaela Mayer, who faces Chantelle Cameron this Saturday in a super-welterweight world title unification fight. Shields told Sky Sports the interest is real: "If the fight with Lauren Price can't happen, I would love to get in the ring with Mikaela Mayer."
She's not offering Mayer any particular respect either. Shields acknowledges Mayer has moved up from a smaller weight class to 154lbs, but her read is simple — better skills, better speed, better experience. Two Olympic Games, two gold medals. Mayer hasn't been to the final once. Shields isn't saying it to be cruel. She's saying it because she genuinely believes it.
Mayer's Not Hiding From It
To her credit, Mayer isn't dodging the conversation. She confirmed to Sky Sports that she and Shields have already spoken about a potential meeting at 160lbs — middleweight — and she wants it. She also wants the Lauren Price fight. In her ideal world, she lines up all three: Cameron on Saturday, then Price, then Shields, and rides off into the sunset. Whether that's realistic depends heavily on what happens this weekend.
It says something about where women's boxing is right now that Shields, Mayer, Price and Cameron are all operating in the same orbit simultaneously. These are real fights with real stakes, not manufactured exhibition matchups. For anyone who's been tracking [the rise of elite female boxing](/getohedz/boxing/britains-allen-becomes-first-female-fighter-to-sign-with-zuffa), this is what the sport looks like when it starts to properly deliver on its potential.
The parallel with [Amanda Serrano's pursuit of legacy milestones](/getohedz/boxing/my-last-goal---serrano-seeks-historic-33rd-ko-before-bowing-out) is hard to ignore — another elite women's boxer at the top of her game, chasing history on her own terms before she walks away.
Our Take
Shields versus Mayer would be a genuinely excellent fight at 160lbs, and both women seem to want it on some level. But Shields has a hierarchy, and Lauren Price sits at the top of it. If that fight gets made, Mayer waits. If it doesn't, Mayer gets her shot — and she should be careful what she wishes for. Shields at middleweight, 19-0, stopping opponents inside fights, is not someone you take lightly because the narrative suits you. She's earned every syllable of that confidence.