Claressa Shields has conquered Olympic competition, collected world titles and built a résumé that has earned her the “GWOAT” nickname. But before she walks away from boxing, there is one superstar she wants in her corner — Beyoncé.
The undisputed boxing champion made a direct request to the music icon during an interview with TMZ Sports host Babcock, revealing that she wants Beyoncé to walk her to the ring for one of her final fights.
“Beyoncé, listen, baby girl. Before I retire, I need you to walk me out,” Shields said.
And Beyoncé wouldn’t have to put on a full concert.
Shields said the singer could choose the song and perform for as little as 30 seconds or one minute — whatever Beyoncé wanted.
“You pick the song, and only perform 30 seconds, one minute, whatever you decide.”
For Shields, the request is about creating a defining moment for what she considers one of the greatest careers in women’s boxing.
“Before I retire, I need Beyoncé to walk out the greatest woman of all time,” Shields said, making it clear that this is the one major request she has for her boxing farewell.
She even promised not to push for anything beyond the ring entrance.
“I won’t ask you for nothing else. I won’t even ask you for a picture if that’s not what you want.”
The dream does not have an immediate deadline. Shields, 31, said she plans to continue fighting until she turns 38, giving the two-time Olympic gold medalist plenty of time to potentially make the moment happen.
The request comes shortly after Shields’ latest victory, a dominant knockout against Kaye Scott, which added another highlight to an already decorated career.
Beyond her Olympic gold medals and world championships, Shields has also seen her life story brought to the screen through a biopic.
But her ambitions extend beyond traditional boxing. During the interview, Shields also discussed the possibility of facing MMA star Cris Cyborg, who recently called her out, as well as whether she could return to mixed martial arts.
She also addressed the possibility of eventually facing Laila Ali.
For now, though, Shields already knows exactly how she wants one future ring entrance to look.
Beyoncé chooses the song. Shields walks toward the ring. And the “GWOAT” gets the superstar send-off she has been asking for.
