The dream of fighting Laila Ali has seemingly come to an end for Claressa Shields, who got word from the retired boxer's camp that she's not interested. Shields was asked by TMZ on Thursday (Aug. 7), what was the status of the fight.

Claressa Shields claims that the reason her long-awaited bout with Laila Ali hasn't happened yet is because the latter is ducking her. TMZ spoke with Shields in Los Angeles about the status of the fight, claiming that Ali doesn't want to get in the ring with her.

Since moving up to conquer the women's heavyweight division in July 2024, Claressa Shields has focused her attention on a surprising new target: Laila Ali. Despite being retired for over 18 years, the shocking amount of traction the hypothetical matchup gained on social media has forced Ali to respond.

Ali says she’ll answer Claressa Shields’ $15 million challenge on her own time The back-and-forth between Claressa Shields and Laila Ali has reached a fever pitch over the past month, fueled by a staggering $15 million offer from Team Shields to Ali.

Laila Ali is in no rush to get into the ring with Claressa Shields. The retired boxer trolled fans through an Instagram video on Wednesday (Aug. 6) when she “addressed” Shields’ request to fight with the demanded $15 million on-hand.

Boxing legend Laila Ali has responded to pressure about whether or not she will accept the current reigning champion, Claressa Shields’ challenge to step into the ring after years of retirement. In a short video clip, Ali says she will reveal her decision when she is ready.

The retired boxing champion, 47, took to Instagram on Wednesday, August 6, to plug several projects-including the August 12 Food Network debut of Chef Grudge Match and a "Persian cucumber" feature for Laila Ali Lifestyle-before addressing the question fans keep asking: Will she fight Claressa Shields?