Women’s boxing legend Laila Ali has effectively named her price to come out of retirement and face pound for pound star Claressa Shields.
The undefeated former women’s champion has become embroiled in a war of words with the current three-weight ruler.
Responding to talk from Shields that the self-professed ‘GWOAT’ would win, even if the pair fought in Ali’s prime, the daughter of ‘The Greatest’ spoke to Sirius XM.
The first instance of discussion had come during an appearance on ‘The Breakfast Club’ when Ali declared there were no fighters to come out of retirement for at the age of 42.
Shields then said: “I don’t think Laila Ali could beat me in her prime. She’s not a bad fighter,” in her own interview on the same station.
Ali fired back on The AK and Barak Show by revealing it would take seven or eight figures for her to even consider any fighter.
“Who inspires me to come out of retirement at 42? – Do you have $5 million for me, do you have $10 million for me?
“Cause it’s going to take at least that to come get me.
She continued: “You know what I’d have to do to come back for a fight? – I don’t care who it is, cause I’m gonna win regardless.
“I’m gonna knock you out. Period. So for me, it really comes down to me being in shape. That’s the only way I would lose – if I was not in shape.
“So for me to stop everything I’m doing, OK. To take time away from my family. My kids being like, ‘Mom, you not going to do this’ – My husband not agreeing with it.
“The training, the focus. Everything it would take. Now, who is there? – Nobody.
“If I wanted to, of course, I could.”
"One thing Claressa [Shields] needs to understand, it's not always about her, OK?" — @TheRealLailaAli responds to Claressa Shields' issues with her and discusses what it would take for a potential comeback.
Full interview: https://t.co/oxhFouOW1G@BoxingwithAk @TheBoxingBully pic.twitter.com/crBgi8qUhQ
— SiriusXM Boxing (@SiriusXMBoxing) January 17, 2020
GWOAT
Addressing Shields directly, Ali concluded: “I don’t care if you are upset about what I said.
“If you don’t inspire me to want to come back, then I’m not gonna!”
Shields is contemplating a fourth-weight championship by moving up to light heavyweight for a battle with Geovana Peres.
Failing that, the Olympic gold medalist has contenders queuing up to earn a payday after she would two versions of the 154 strap against Ivana Habazin.
For Ali, it’s highly unlikely the 24-0 puncher will end her exile, which began way back in 2007.
