Claressa Shields didn’t just show up suddenly in 2011 and win; she built her legacy, brick by brick, from a very young age. That’s exactly why she proudly calls herself the Greatest Woman of All Time (GWOAT). But here’s the thing. Being the GWOAT doesn’t mean you’re immune to the politics of boxing. And right now, Claressa Shields seems to be caught in the middle of exactly that. The 30-year-old has always been clear about what she wants. And she’s been vocal about not wanting to work with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)—and she’s got her reasons. Now, MVP is planning something huge this 11th of July. An all women’s fight card, headlined by Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor in their trilogy fight, with four undercard fights making it a full-on event to be aired live on Netflix.

And now, despite Claressa Shields’ stance against working with MVP, they still extended an offer to her yesterday, albeit unofficially. Yes, when the whole MVP team was at MSG Theater to promote the July 11 event, T-Rex was made an offer. However, that offer came with strings attached. And now, the undisputed world heavyweight champion is facing a tough choice.

Claressa Shields no longer holds the cards

The story started with Alycia Baumgardner, her friend-turned-foe who is now the freshest addition to the MVP stable after joining hands with Jake Paul’s promotion last month. When asked why she made that move to MVP, Baumgardner gave a straight answer. “My main decision was being respected. Being valued. Having a voice.” She didn’t just want to be another “fighter under a roaster.” On top of it, she wanted to have a say in her own career. The female undisputed super featherweight champion sees herself not just as a boxer, but “a pioneer for the sport of Boxing.” And MVP saw that vision too.

According to her, “This is the biggest turning point in my career,” and she’s promising exciting fights ahead, all showcased on a grand stage. “You’re gonna see the most of Alycia ‘The Bomb’ Baumgardner. And MVP is gonna put that on the biggest stage,” she stated. Now, when it comes to matchups—especially with big names like Amanda Serrano or Claressa Shields—things got interesting. When asked about the Fremont native facing Claressa Shields, Nakisa Bidarian, the co-founder of MVP, took the lead and made a statement.

He pointed out that “Claressa Shields is walking around at 190 lbs right now [though it’s 173½ to be precise in the last fight]. And Alycia is walking at 132 or 133 lbs.” That’s a huge weight gap. But still, she was offered the fight… with a condition. Nakisa Bidarian made it clear that, “If Claressa Shields wants the biggest payday of her life, she’s gonna have to figure out how to get a weight class that makes sense for Alycia Baumgardner.”

It’s not about doing things Claressa Shields’ way anymore according to them. The ball’s in The Bomb’s court now. “So if she wants to have that opportunity against this champion [Alycia Baumbgardner], she’s [Claressa Shields] gotta make the effort,” Nakisa Bidarian told the press. But judging by Claressa Shields’ latest update, a showdown with “The Bomb” seems like nothing more than wishful thinking on their part. Why?

Jake Paul stole something from Shields 

A few days ago, Claressa Shields in a conversation said, “Jake Paul don’t like me, I don’t like him.” The 16-0 boxer and a two-time Olympic gold medalist feels like Jake Paul has never given her the credit she’s earned—not once since he entered the boxing scene. “He’s never given me props since he came in the game,” she said. But what really set her off was something else.

It was the moment Jake Paul and MVP put out a poster calling Amanda Serrano the “GWOAT”—an acronym Claressa Shields herself built, popularized, and lived out through years of hard work, grit, and history-making fights. “He has tried to steal my name,” the Flint native stated. “And gave it to Amanda Serrano when I built the name up.”

She even got into it with Serrano on X over the whole thing. But to be clear—Claressa Shields doesn’t dislike Amanda. In fact, she said, “I already had shared the title with her willingly. Already because she fought at the smaller weight classes.” So the issue isn’t with Serrano. It’s with what Jake Paul represents in this situation. In Claressa Shields’ eyes, he tried to erase her contributions, rewrite her legacy, and act like she never mattered. “I just found it very disrespectful,” she added in the end.

With that said, what do you think? Should Claressa Shields accept the offer despite her issues with Jake Paul and MVP? Can a fight between Claressa Shields and Alycia Baumgardner even happen with such a big weight gap? Do share your thoughts with us below.