‘Never been rocked like that’: Aussie star reveals brutal GWOAT reality after ‘wild’ experience
FOX SPORTS Australia · James Cooney · 2026-08-19T02:36:00+00:00 · nguồn gốc
‘Never been rocked like that’: Aussie star reveals brutal GWOAT reality after ‘wild’ experience
Kaye Scott knew exactly how good Claressa Shields was before stepping into the ring with the GWOAT.
It still took only a matter of seconds for the Aussie to realise this was something different.
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Days after surrendering her WBC and WBA middleweight titles to Shields in Atlanta, Scott has opened up on the brutal reality of facing arguably the greatest female boxer of all time – revealing she had “never been rocked” by a left hook like the one that brought her night undone.
But rather than being crushed by the biggest defeat of her career, the 42-year-old Sydneysider says she has surprised even herself with how she has handled it.
“I’m normally an athlete that is extremely critical of herself post-fight and get extremely upset and disappointed in myself after a loss,” Scott told Fox Sports Australia.
“Fortunately my maturity and experience is finally coming through and I’m handling the defeat with a healthy acceptance.
“I gave absolutely everything in my camp; physically and mentally.
“A fight against the best female fighter on the planet was a huge task; I embraced it, I backed myself all the way into the ring but just couldn’t get the job done.”
And few could argue with Scott’s view on it.
There was, after all, a reason the Aussie walked into the ring as a massive $15 outsider.
Shields’ ridiculous resume now includes two Olympic gold medals and world titles across five weight divisions, having also become undisputed in three.
And Scott says it did not take long to understand why the American has dominated the sport for so long.
“Claressa was tough,” Scott said.
“She is able to assert her dominance and strength early on.
“Every attack has a crazy ferocity to it which commands respect and forces you to keep a bit further at distance.
“I knew she’d be strong but that combined with her very quick reaction time and speed made things very challenging.”
Then came the shot Scott won’t soon forget.
Shields stunned the Aussie with a left hook in the sixth round, sending her towards the ropes before pouring on the pressure as the fight was eventually waved off.
“I’ve never been rocked by a left hook like that before,” Scott said.
“After the count my head was back, but my legs definitely weren’t.”
Remarkably, Scott emerged from the biggest fight of her career relatively unscathed.
She revealed she suffered a nasty head clash early in the contest, which caused the lump on her forehead, but otherwise avoided any major damage.
“I’m healthy and happy without too much damage,” she said.
“No bruising the next day, however I had a big head clash early in the fight. Many would’ve seen the big lump on my forehead.
“The swelling has dropped and I’ve got some bruising and swelling from that; all superficial stuff.”
And if sharing a ring with Shields wasn’t already surreal enough, everything surrounding the fight certainly was.
Scott has spent most of her career fighting a long way from boxing’s glitz and glamour.
Suddenly she was walking through Atlanta and being stopped for photographs before eventually emerging in front of a crowd of around 18,000.
“The whole experience was wild,” she said.
“The lead-up, hype and media presence over in Atlanta was pretty insane; by far the biggest event I’ve ever been part of.
“I was being recognised walking around outside during fight week and getting stopped for photos everywhere; in the supermarket, just walking down the street.
“The event itself was surreal, to walk out into a stadium of 18 thousand was crazy. Busy, loud and electric!”
Scott was forced to wait inside the ring as Shields received the superstar treatment in front of her hometown crowd.
“I was really proud of myself for holding it down during the fight entrances,” Scott said.
“You’re walking into a stadium packed full of her fans and was probably in the ring for nearly 20mins+ before we actually fought.
“That’s a long time to keep your nerve and to stay in the zone ready to go.”
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Scott could also hardly miss the collection of famous faces watching on.
Usher, Bill Gates, Floyd Mayweather, Terence Crawford, Shakur Steveson, Devin Haney and Brandy were among the names Scott remembers spotting during the build-up inside the arena.
“It definitely was an entertainment spectacle,” she said.
“Crazy while I was waiting in the ring for her walkout and then all the anthems and ring announcements to see so many big-name celebrities there.”
For now, though, Scott isn’t rushing into any big decisions about what comes next.
She plans to enjoy a holiday in the States before returning home and sitting down with her team to map out the next chapter.
And one intriguing all-Aussie option remains very much alive.
Asked about potentially renewing her rivalry with Desley “The Destroyer” Robinson, Scott revealed another showdown is still very much on the table.
“Of course, that’s definitely an option on the cards for both of us,” she said.
“We’re each signed with different American promotional companies though, so it depends what they’re able to create for each of us moving forward.
“I’m keen to enjoy my holiday now and discuss with my coach and manager when I get back to Australia what my next options are!”