FLINT, MI – The phrase GOAT is tossed around in the sporting world as a measure of the utmost excellence.
There are debates about trying to crown the “Greatest Of All Time” among those athletes who transcend their chosen field of athletic competition.
In basketball, the comparison often falls back to Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
Tom Brady’s seven Super Bowl rings stand unmatched by any quarterback in football.
Among the fans of the sweet science, Muhammad Ali stands at the mountaintop.
But there is a new title in town -- GWOAT, or the Greatest Woman Of All Time -- and Claressa Shields is paving her own path to claim the moniker, with Canada’s Marie Eve Dicaire serving as her next obstacle toward that goal on Friday, March 5 at the Dort Financial Center in Flint.
“I don’t box for a hobby. It’s not something I do because it’s fun. You know, I do it because it’s fun. But this is my career and I really love boxing with all my heart,” said Shields, a Flint native. “I feel like some people underestimate that when they look at how I speak of how great I am. If I never would have said how great I am no one in this room would have ever called me great because you just don’t recognize it.
“Only greats know that they’re great, like Muhammad Ali. Nobody called him the greatest of all-time. They called him the Louisville Lip because he talked to much, right? But, if he would have never said he was the greatest of all time, he would not be considered the greatest of all time right now. No matter what boxer comes along, nobody can get in front of Muhammad Ali. That’s how I feel about myself. Muhammad Ali is first. Claressa Shields is second. I am the greatest woman of all time and 98 percent of the men in this world cannot beat me. Keeping it real.”
Known for a long time as “T-Rex,” Shields is taking on “GWOAT” as her new nickname.
“This is a new era for me. My name from now on is Claressa “The GWOAT” Shields. T-Rex has long gone. OK?” she said. “T-Rex had the short arms. T-Rex was aggressive, but greatest woman of all time possesses a lot more. She possesses poise, power, punch placement and that is what you’ll see on Friday.”
Shields (10-0-0, 2 KOs) and Canada’s Marie Eve Dicaire (17-0-0, 0 KOs) will be fighting for the undisputed women’s world super welterweight championship.
Shields holds the WBC and WBO super welterweight belts, while Dicaire is the IBF champion and the WBA will be awarding a super championship belt to the winner.
Shields, 25, will be fighting for the first time since Jan. 10, 2020, when she scored a unanimous decision victory over Croatia’s Ivana Habazin in Atlantic City to win her two super welterweight belts.
Dicaire, 34, hasn’t fought since Nov. 23, 2019, when all three judges’ scorecards declared her the winner against Venezuela’s Ogleidis Suarez in her native Quebec.
Shields is already the undisputed middleweight champion and a victory over Dicaire would make her the first fighter in history -- male or female -- to hold undisputed titles in two weight classes at the same time.
She is fighting for a lot more than a win in the ring, Shields said.
As the self-proclaimed GWOAT, Shields argues she is fighting for equality for women’s boxing and women’s sports on the whole.
“I’m really the one leading the way. Nobody has to deal with the pressures I deal with on top of winning, on top of performing, on top of sexist network,” Shields said. “I am still focused on my skills and go to the gym every day to prove that I am the best. When I perform every time in the ring, you’ve never seen a girl come close to beating me.
“People look at me like, ‘Hey, she’s a woman fighter,’ and it’s like, I’m a boxer, and a very accomplished boxer at that. If I was a man, the whole boxing world of men would bow down because I am too powerful for anyone to compare me. … When you are great, you just know how great you are.”
While reflecting on her motivations as she continues to transform her craft, Shields continues to evolve her mindset toward setting an example to youth and adults alike.
Setting the stage in Flint, she has inspired city residents throughout the community that dire circumstances do not define any individual and that we can all make something of ourselves, she said.
And Shields does so by making herself available to the public.
When she grocery shops, she said, kids will come up to meet her, or simply anywhere in the community, she said. For her, it’s about making connections and giving back while inspiring others to be the best versions of themselves and chase their dreams.
“A lot of kids, teenagers and adults look up to me. I am changing lives every day. I’m changing the narrative. You can be from Flint and you can be successful. You can grow up poor and make some money. You can go through being molested and being raped and still be a great person. You don’t have to let those moments define you and destroy you,” she said. “I represent so much. I want people to understand I’m not just a poor black girl from Flint. That is who I was. Who I am now? I am the greatest woman of all time. I’m a pay-per-view star, I’m a three-time division world champion, undisputed champ, two-time Olympic gold medalist who is from Flint, Michigan.”
Shields said her faith and belief in God also drives her through her decisions in and out of boxing.
When she started believing in Jesus Christ and God after getting baptized, everything started coming together in her life, she said.
“I was walking down a dark tunnel that had light at the end that I never thought that I would get to. When I got baptized and I came from under the water, he just changed me as a person,” Shields said. “Even though I was mean as hell when I was 17, I was still transforming and changing. (And now), 17 to 25 I am two different people.”
Related: Claressa Shields details her journey with faith
Amidst the pandemic, Shields said she was nearly ready to quit, but she turned to God to seek advice on what was meant for her journey.
“I said, ‘You know what God, I quit.’ There’s nothing I can do about the situation, so I put my whole career in his hands and whatever God does with it, God does with it,” she commented. “If it was God telling me boxing has taken its toll and time do to something else, I would have done it. If God would have told me it was time for me to have kids, I would have done it. Whatever his will was for my career, I put it in God’s hands.
“When I did that, I found out God wanted me to be more than a boxer. He sent me the best coaches and started training for MMA too. … In order to be the greatest woman of all time, I have to do both. God said, ‘Right now, while you’re in your prime, this is what you have to do.’”
Dicaire and Shields are expected to enter the ring about 11 p.m. Friday, dependent on how long the six undercards bouts last. Doors open at 6 p.m. for those who were able to snatch up a limited number of tickets for the fight.
The event will be broadcast on pay-per-view, the first time women have headlined a PPV card in 20 years. All five fights on the broadcast will feature women.
The cost of the broadcast, which begins at 9 p.m., is $29.95 and made available on fite.tv or Comcast On Demand.
Read more on MLive.com:
Claressa Shields, Marie Eve Dicaire dressed like twins at weigh-in for title fight
Marie Eve Dicaire fulfills dream by fighting Shields
Faith, family, friends help Shields cope with layoff
COVID precautions will be in place for Shields fight
Shields fighting for more than unified title
What to know about Shields-Dicaire bout