More than three weeks ago, Claressa Shields fired verbal shots at Laila Ali over their potential boxing match.
‘Laila and her representatives have told us no,’ Shields said during an interview with TMZ. ‘… I’m not upset. I wouldn’t fight me either. You know what I’m saying? I understand that she’s scared.’
But Amber Noble, a business partner of Ali, has responded. Noble, who said she has spoken to Shields’ representatives, disputed that Ali has declined to fight Shields.
‘I can tell you with the absolute 100% certainty, Leila did not decline,’ Noble told USA TODAY Sports on Sept. 4. ‘Laila did not reject or say she wasn’t going to fight her. What she said is, ‘I call the shots over here for myself.”
But more than six weeks after Shields and her team said they would pay Ali $15 million if she agreed to fight Shields, Ali has yet to address the offer publicly. Which has created uncertainty about a potential matchup between Shields, the 30-year-old women’s heavyweight champion, and Ali, 47, who retired with a record of 24-0.
‘Laila intends to share something further in the very near future,’ Noble said. ‘That’s all I can say about that.’
While Ali has stayed mum on the subjection, Shields has said plenty.
‘She wanted $15 million,’ Shields told TMZ. ‘I went and got the $15 million and now it’s all this backpedaling. So, you know, congrats to her and all she’s doing, but I’m moving on with my career again.’
Noble clarified that Ali had said she would “think’’ about fighting for $15 million to $20 million. And as far as Shields saying Ali declined to fight, Noble said her remarks to Shields’ representatives may have been misinterpreted.
Noble said the conversation took place after Shields’ and her team produced a video saying they had put $15 million in escrow for Ali – to be collected if she fought Shields, who on social media pushed Ali for a response.
“I said that they fumbled some things, meaning the way that they were handling some things behind the scenes,’’ Noble said. “Basically to say to her representatives, like, come on, you guys gotta chill.’ You know what I mean?”
With her comments to TMZ, Shields put a chill on talk about the potential fight.
“I’m moving on,’’ she said. “I got plenty of girls I can fight.’’