Claressa Shields lost a split decision to Abigail Montes in the Octagon on Wednesday, and the boxing world reacted contrastingly to the reverse.
The “GWOAT” dropped her first loss since a 2012 amateur defeat to Savannah Marshall in her second bout in MMA.
Shields is one of the more outspoken boxing stars out there, fighting her corner for considerable achievements inside the ring.
By becoming a multi-weight ruler inside the squared circle, Shields moved over to the six-sided ring for a new challenge in between boxing bouts.
After winning her debut, Shields suffered her first setback in a decade. The reaction was mixed – to say the least.
Friend Cris Cyborg stated: “Keep your head up, Claressa Shields. I love how you are young and courageous and not afraid to challenge yourself.
“The way you’re inspiring an entire generation of women not to be afraid of greatness is what makes you so powerful!”
I’m so proud of @Claressashields !! We r in a 2yr MMA laboratory; our practice happens live on ESPN instead of in a gym. Claressa showed so much improvement tonight; she will be even better next @PFLMMA fight! We r in it for the long haul! https://t.co/tyYPnp3f8n
— Mark Taffet (@MarkTaffetMedia) October 28, 2021
One of her representatives, former HBO supremo Mark Taffett, added that their two-year experiment was not over by a long shot.
“I’m so proud of Claressa Shields! – We r in a two-year MMA laboratory. Our practice happens live on ESPN instead of in a gym.
“Claressa showed so much improvement tonight; she will be even better in her next PFL fight! We are in it for the long haul!”
Now, that’s all commendable. But some question whether Shields should be moving over to MMA and jeopardizing her boxing legacy.
CLARESSA SHIELDS LOSS
On the flip side, some say the MMA loss is meaningless.
“Claressa Shields losing in MMA means as much as James Toney losing in MMA. They are two different sports, and a loss in one doesn’t affect your greatness in the other,” said one.
Another added: “Claressa Shields is a two-time Olympic Gold medalist, three-weight world champion in Pro Boxing and has the guts to venture into MMA and be competitive against MMA fighters training in MMA way longer than her.
“She’s everything you could never be but desperately want to be.”
A third stated: “I remain baffled by PFL’s matchmaking for Claressa Shields. Is it that hard to find a striker for her to style on? Especially after her debut.”
Again the debate rages why a skilled boxer would put themselves in a position to be grappled for three rounds and defeated.
It’s something the major of boxing fans will never understand. Will it affect her moving forward? – Time will tell.
