‘Belongs to me’: Aussie’s world title heartbreak as GWOAT sends ominous warning in brutal finish
· James Cooney · 2026-08-16T06:28:56+00:00 · nguồn gốc
‘Belongs to me’: Aussie’s world title heartbreak as GWOAT sends ominous warning in brutal finish
Claressa Shields has ended Kaye Scott’s world title reign, stopping the gutsy Aussie to add yet another chapter to her extraordinary boxing career.
The woman who calls herself the GWOAT returned to middleweight and proved far too good for Scott in Atlanta, reclaiming the WBC and WBA belts she once owned while maintaining her perfect professional record.
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Scott arrived at State Farm Arena as a massive outsider but refused to be overawed by the occasion, attempting to take the fight to one of the greatest female boxers of all time.
But Shields quickly showed why she entered as an overwhelming favourite.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist controlled much of the contest with her speed, accuracy and combination punching, repeatedly beating Scott to the punch.
To Scott’s credit, she continued coming forward and refused to wilt as Shields steadily took control.
But the American’s hand speed eventually proved too much.
Shields rocked Scott with a left hook in the sixth round before following with a right hand that sent the Aussie stumbling towards the ropes and down for a knockdown.
The American immediately went hunting for the finish, unloading a barrage of punches as Scott found herself in serious trouble.
With the Aussie under heavy fire, Scott’s corner threw in the towel and the referee stepped in to wave off the contest.
Remarkably, it was just Shields’ second stoppage victory in the past nine years.
“This was a hard camp,” Shields said afterwards.
“I always say to myself that everything is easy work, but this was a hard camp. I cut 38 pounds. I started 14 weeks ago at 198 and got down to 160.
“It was a hard camp. I think this is the most disciplined I’ve been since the Olympics.
“I started going to the body to break her down ... all the girls are super tough to go 10 rounds. [But] I could see that the right hand was landing to her body.
“I just tried to get close, take my time with my shots. I threw a right, hook, right and she started wobbling and going down.
“... I just came out to show why I’m No. 1 pound-for-pound.”
The victory sees Shields reclaim the WBC and WBA middleweight crowns while continuing a remarkable career that has already seen her become undisputed champion across multiple divisions.
And there appears to be no shortage of options for what comes next.
The victory sets up the possibility of a blockbuster showdown with welterweight champion Lauren Price, while Shields also made it clear she has more business at middleweight.
New IBF and WBO champion Tamm Thibeault is firmly in her sights.
“She got the rest of the three belts,” Shields said.
“She only had one big fight in the professionals, but she got belts.
“It’s not my fault these girls don’t have the experience that I have. But hey, she got a belt that I know belongs to me, and that’s the Ring belt.
“I’ve always been number one at 160, and when I decide to come back down to 160, that automatically makes me number one.”
For Scott, meanwhile, the defeat brings an end to a world title reign that was almost two decades in the making.
The 42-year-old Sydneysider had spent years fighting for opportunities before finally reaching the top of the sport -- and when the biggest opportunity of all arrived, she was willing to put everything on the line against arguably the greatest female boxer of all time.