Laila Ali calls out Claressa Shields in latest YouTube video, says she was not aware of her "malicious nature"

There have been reports of boxers Laila Ali and Claressa Shields joining hands for a boxing match, but whether it will materialize or not is yet to be known.

Despite that, on October 16, Ali shared a video on her YouTube channel in which she called out Shields. In the video, she said she would like to address the false narrative created by Shields.

Ali mentioned that Shields even used her father, Muhammad Ali’s name, to seek attention. Laila referred to Claressa’s previous claims that she did not support her because Laila was jealous of Claressa Shields’ accomplishments. Laila Ali also showed a clip of an old interview that she did with Shields. Speaking about the interview, she said:

“I gave her praise. I gave her a spotlight when she asked for advice. I gave her valuable branding advice and boxing advice so she could have long-term success in and outside of the ring.”

Laila Ali then discussed the suggestion she gave Claressa Shields to excel in her career. However, she noted:

“But of course, at the time, I was not aware of her divisive, vindictive, and malicious nature. And I know those are strong words, but they actually fit. This girl has created a pattern. It's been directed towards many people time and time again.”

Laila Ali said that before their interview in Colorado, Claressa Shields told her she wanted to be as well-known in women’s boxing as Laila was. Looking back, Laila felt that Shields had planned things carefully and later tried to damage her reputation over a comment that wasn’t even about her, but that she took personally.

Laila Ali said at one point, she stopped investing her energy into Claressa Shields

Laila Ali mentioned her appearance on The Breakfast Club podcast a few years ago, where she praised Claressa Shields. However, Shields was seemingly not so happy about what Laila said on the podcast and even shared a reaction video of the same, a clip of which was shown on Ali’s YouTube video.

Meanwhile, she said that she didn’t reply to Shields’ reaction but remembered it. She explained that Claressa didn’t have much experience as a boxer and that it was strange for her to think Laila had mentioned her when talking about a comeback.

Laila Ali also said she had already told Claressa Shields before that she retired because she no longer felt challenged or inspired by the boxers at that time. Laila went on to say:

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“So, I learned a lot about her character and her mindset. She took what I said out of context and made it all about her. I decided I was no longer going to invest time or energy into her. But she, on the other hand, she took it straight to social media, started comparing her boxing skills to mine, making negative comments about me, and pitting herself against me in a fight.”

Laila Ali said that even though many younger people might not know her, she never made claims she couldn’t back up. She explained that when she said in 2019 she could defeat Claressa Shields, she meant it, like she always had with anyone who challenged her before.

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