“No matter what boxer comes along, nobody can get in front of Muhammad Ali. That’s how I feel about myself. Muhammad Ali is first, and Claressa Shields is second. I am the greatest woman of all time.” Before her fight with Marie Eve Dicaire back in 2021, this is how Shields summed up her own place in boxing. Within days of saying this, she’d go on to become the undisputed female light middleweight champion. But what about Ali’s daughter, Laila Ali, a great boxer herself? Well, she didn’t take the statement too kindly. Since then, the two haven’t been on good terms, with their rivalry peaking earlier this month when Shields stated, “Actually, I’m not gonna lie. [Ann Wolfe] was the best in her(Laila Ali’s) era, and I’m the best in this era. Laila Ali is just Muhammad Ali’s daughter.” That was enough for the retired champ to talk about a potential bout to end all the jabs once and for all.

But blame it on Laila Ali for leaving fans on a cliffhanger. The million-dollar question, or $15 million, to be precise, of whether she will face Claressa Shields went unanswered. “Will I be coming back to boxing to get that knockout?” Muhammad Ali’s daughter asked in her now increasingly popular podcast, Laila Ali KO, leaving fans waiting for the second part of her campaign. She’s now back with yet another episode, where she spoke in detail about the simmering differences with Claressa Shields. The way Shields seemingly used her father’s name to discredit her irked Ali. It wasn’t something Ali was willing to let slide or forget.

Laila Ali fires off her sharpest response yet to Claressa Shields

Halfway through the show, Laila Ali shared footage from her past appearances and interviews. She explained how titles, accolades, or debates over ‘who’s the greatest of all’ never enamored her. “I’m happy just being one; my father always said he was the best. That wasn’t really my thing. My thing is I want to be the best in my weight class. I want to be undefeated, and I want to be a world champion. And those things I attained,” she said on The Sister Circle Live.

Having said that, winning the WBC title remained a special feat. Her father was also a WBC champion. But the fact that every woman fighter who wins a WBC title receives a belt embossed with her photo makes the honor even dearer to her heart.

Taking a jibe at Claressa Shields, Ali asked, “Now, that truly is something special to me. So, did her plan work?”

More pertinently, did the Flint-born champion’s efforts to entice her out of retirement and step into the ring for a momentous face-off succeed?

“Absolutely not,” Laila Ali stated. She’s not willing to let the slight go. “After years of blatant lies and vile disrespect, making unsolicited negative remarks about me, questioning the legitimacy of my boxing legacy, and having the audacity to cross the line by disrespecting my deceased father, trying to use his name to discredit his daughter.”

“She will not be rewarded with the opportunity to share the ring with me or anything else,” Laila Ali concluded categorically.

Ali vs. Shields: Time to bury the hatchet?

Ali was 22 when she kicked off her professional journey. It was a world still unprepared to welcome women into boxing. Still, Ali forged her path through sheer grit and determination. Her career lasted only eight years. Yet she stood out and inspired scores of young women to step into the ring.

Perhaps that’s why she finds herself at odds when a champion from a different era calls her out, despite her already having accounted for her contributions to women’s boxing.

With two Olympic gold medals and undisputed championships in three weight classes, Claressa Shields’ achievements stand in a class of their own. In response to Laila Ali’s video, she released her own rebuttal on her YouTube channel.

“Laila Ali has been losing the fight against me for a very long time, and we all know when you start losing the fight, you go below the belt…. This is just another example of the older [generation] hating on the youth,” she stated.

Speaking about the ‘lies’ Ali allegedly concocted, Shields explained how their relationship initially started on a good note. Now that’s something Laila Ali also acknowledged.

So perhaps it’s time Ali and Shields bury the past, let bygones be bygones, and move on?

What’s your take on the Ali-Shields feud entering the YouTube arena?