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Boxing

Claressa Shields is 'a Muhammad Ali of this generation' claims Dmitry Salita

Claressa Shields is 'a Muhammad Ali of this generation' claims Dmitry SalitaDAZN

It's safe to say Claressa Shields and Katie Taylor, two undisputed champions at middleweight and lightweight respectively, are the biggest names in women's boxing right now, but who is the pound-for-pound number one? 

That is a debate which is raging amongst boxing fans with some even putting both women as joint number one. 

However, according to promoter Dmitry Salita, Shields is on a higher pedestal. 

"There is no debate as to who the GWOAT (Greatest Woman of all Time) is. I am a big fan of Katie Taylor. She is a phenomenal fighter and a great person. She fought on events we co-promoted with Matchroom in NYC. I got to know her and I am a fan of Katie Taylor," Salita told Vegas Insider

"With that being said, numbers and facts don’t lie. Claressa has taken women's boxing and women's sports to the next level of empowerment and equality. She is the only man or woman from the US to be a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist. She is the first woman ever in the US to be a main event on premium cable network television on Showtime in only her second professional fight.

"Her boxing resume of victories is unprecedented for man or woman, starting from her pro debut where she beat current unified world champion Franchon Crews, through to her last fight that was the most watched women's sporting event ever on Sky against Savannah Marshall."

Salita then went onto compare Shields to one of boxing's legendary names. 

"Claressa also constantly advocates for other women fighters to get the pay and recognition they deserve. The term GWOAT was non-existent until Claressa Shields," Salita continued. 

"She is a historic figure, a Muhammad Ali of this generation, there will never be another one.

"As for the argument that Katie Taylor has been in bigger fights - that is objectively not accurate based on accomplishments and fan response in the US and UK and other territories judging by TV ratings."

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