Claressa Shields & Mikaela Mayer Moving Ever Closer

Claressa Shields & Mikaela Mayer Moving Ever Closer

Nothing is signed. There is still work to do, but I am of the understanding that things are aligning for a massive fight later this year between Claressa Shields and Mikaela Mayer at middleweight.

Dmitriy Salita, Shields’ long-time promoter, has already publicly stated that the fight has a very realistic chance of happening, and I am told that is indeed the case. Negotiations are seemingly moving in the right direction for a fight that will undoubtedly do big business, and one that can’t fail to deliver on every possible angle. Both know how to sell a fight. In truth, they probably do it better than anyone. We are likely to get a venomous war of words before they go to war for real.

Shields is coming off a repeat win over her perennial rival, Franchon Crews-Dezurn. A dominant points victory in Detroit in front of 18,000 passionate fans who gave her an incredibly vocal reception. The two-time Olympic and three-division undisputed world champion entertained the masses and delivered another masterclass of a performance in winning every round against the tough Crews-Dezurn. Mayer was ringside on commentary duties for DAZN. Shields is arguably the pound-for-pound best female fighter on the planet, and she looks head and shoulders above her most natural rivals. But the reigning undisputed world heavyweight champion might finally have an opponent who could threaten that unblemished resume.

Mikaela Mayer is coming off a comprehensive points win over the Canadian Mary Spencer, a victory that made the American a three-division world champion. Mayer earned the WBC, WBA, and WBO super-welterweight titles in October when she defeated the much-bigger Spencer, and with the two victories over Sandy Ryan at welterweight, Mayer is unquestionably in the form of her life.

The 35-year-old has never been one to shy away from a challenge, and Shields is the biggest challenge out there for her. The former unified world super-featherweight champion has moved through the weights over the last few years, and has won world titles at welterweight and super-welterweight, and the signs are that Mayer will go even higher. The only possible sticking point is the weight limit for the proposed mega-fight. Mayer has no issues with fighting her former Olympic teammate at 160; will Shields agree to drop all the way back down to middleweight? That seems to be the only possible stumbling block. But confidence is high that the fight will get over the line for Shields and Mayer to share a ring in the latter part of 2026, with Mayer taking another fight prior to facing Shields against an already selected opponent. Lauren Price isn’t that opponent. Talk of a planned undisputed welterweight showdown with Price, at least for now, has cooled. Ideally, Mayer wants to fight in May, but her return looks like it will be around June/July, before the clash with Shields towards the end of the year.

In many ways, there are many moving parts regarding Mikaela Mayer and her next move. Katie Taylor is looking for one last dance partner, and Mayer could be in the running for that. But if the fight with Claressa Shields does get signed, sealed, and delivered, it will almost certainly be the biggest fight of the year for women’s boxing. George Ruiz, who manages Mayer, agrees. “There’s no bigger fight in women’s boxing than Mikaela vs. Claressa. Two athletes in the prime of their careers. It demands the biggest platform possible.”