It was a riposte, as many expected. And perhaps many had hoped for. It finally came out like never before. The back-and-forth between Laila Ali and Claressa Shields has now become a major narrative in women’s boxing. Alongside Christy Martin, Ali remains one of the sport’s greatest icons, a pioneer in every sense. A former middleweight champion, she carried the torch of her father, Muhammad Ali. However, off late, Laila, who made a name for herself in the entertainment industry and is now a successful businesswoman post-retirement, finds her name entangled in an unsavory, and perhaps unnecessary, rivalry with Shields.

The grumbles reached new heights when Claressa Shields called out Laila Ali with a $15 million fight offer. Months passed, and her diatribe against the former champion

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