‘I Am in Dog Shape’: Claressa Shields Silences Weight Cut Doubts Before Kaye Scott Title Clash

Featured Photo: The GWOAT training with CSP Fighter Jaquan McElroy ahead of their fights on August 15th at State Farm Areana. Credits: Stephanie Trapp/Salita Promotions

ATLANTA — There may be two champions entering the ring on August 15, but only one will leave with the belts.

For Claressa Shields, many have questions heading into her clash with Kaye Scott. They don’t wonder about Scott’s résumé, but about the scale. The focus is on whether Shields can comfortably make 160 pounds again. The undisputed heavyweight champion has spent the past few years fighting at or around 175 pounds. The last time she weighed below 170 for a bout was in 2024 during her final PFL appearance, when she competed at 165 pounds. Now she is dropping another five pounds to challenge Scott for the middleweight titles.

For a fighter who has conquered multiple divisions, including 160, the weight cut has become an intriguing part of the matchup. The question is whether coming down to 160 will affect Shields’ strength, speed, or conditioning. Shields insists it will not. “I’ve been very disciplined,” Shields said. “The weight came off pretty easy, and I kept my strength. I kept my speed.”

She explained that she has not simply starved herself to make weight, but has focused on proper nutrition throughout camp. She believes the results are clear in her conditioning and her ability to maintain the physical tools that have defined her career.  “I’ve been able to spar 10-plus rounds,” Shields said. “I go to the gym, I hit the bag 20, 25 rounds. I am in dog shape.”

The GWOAT said she has been sparring with heavy-handed fighters to ensure her punch resistance was not impacted.  If there are concerns about the weight cut, Shields believes they should be directed at Scott instead. She even pointed to their faceoff earlier in the promotion. “When we faced off, she was looking like female Drago,” Shields said. Now, Shields believes Scott’s appearance has changed as fight night approaches. Still, she is confident in her own condition.

“I ain’t skinny. I still got curves. My booty ain’t go nowhere,” Shields said. “I lost my weight the right way. I’m still strong and everything, so weight ain’t going to be a problem for me.” In fact, Shields believes the weight could become a bigger issue for Scott. “The weight’s not going to be no problem,” Shields said. “I think she’s going to be the one who has the problem.”

If the scale has raised questions about Shields, the number seven has followed Scott throughout the buildup. Scott has only seven professional fights, a figure that on paper makes her appear inexperienced compared to Shields. But that number does not reflect nearly two decades in the sport. Scott is no longer interested in defending her résumé. “A lot of people just look at that pro record,” Scott said. “I’ve kind of gone past the point of defending where I am.”

Before turning professional, Scott spent the majority of her career in the amateur ranks, accumulating around 120 amateur fights and representing Australia internationally for nearly 15 years. Her path to this moment has been unconventional, but she believes it is comparable to fighters who built long amateur careers before turning pro. “I’ve been in the sport for 18 years, but my priority was the amateurs,” Scott said. “I’ve had 120 amateur fights.”

What matters most now, however, is that Scott is the champion. She holds the WBC and WBA middleweight titles, and those belts are the clearest explanation for why she is standing across from Shields. “I’m kind of beyond explaining why Claressa is taking this fight or why I deserve it,” Scott said. “I deserve it because I’ve got the two f***ing belts. She wants the belts. She’s coming down to my division. It can’t make more sense.”

That reality changes the fight. Scott is not simply another challenger on Shields’ path. Shields is coming for what Scott already owns. “My job is now to keep the belts,” Scott said. Scott understands exactly what is coming on Saturday night. She believes Shields is not moving down simply to compete, but to take her titles.

Rather than avoid that idea, Scott has embraced it in her preparation. She says her entire camp has been built around preparing for that level of intensity. “I know this is a big, big fight,” Scott said. “She’s coming in to do more than just win. She wants to hurt me.” While Scott believes her physical preparation is complete, she has placed even greater focus on her mental approach.

“I think I always do the right thing physically in training, but I’ve paid attention a lot more to what’s going on in my brain, up here, and the way I talk to myself,” she said. That mindset has left her with a simple feeling heading into the biggest fight of her career. “I just feel ready,” Scott said. “I can’t say anything more than that. I just feel ready.” Scott has already experienced the frustration of believing she did enough to win a championship fight in America and leaving without the decision. Instead of letting that define her, she returned determined to remove all doubt in her next opportunity.

Now she faces an even bigger challenge, one that represents the highest stage of her career and the most dangerous opponent she has ever stood across from. It is a fight that not only tests her skill, but her belief that she belongs at this level against a generational champion like Shields.

Scott’s age has also become part of the conversation, as she is 42 years old. She is not concerned with that either. She continues to train alongside younger fighters and insists she is still performing at a high level. “While I’m still kicking a**, I’m going to keep kicking a**,” Scott said. She also believes her experience has given her a level of calm she may not have had earlier in her career.

“I compare myself back to 10 years ago, and I think right now I would be sh***ing myself,” Scott said. “I’d be going, ‘Oh my God. Oh my God.’ I’ve just been able to rationalize it.” That composure may be crucial against a fighter like Shields, who has spent much of her career under the brightest lights in boxing. Scott understands the challenge in front of her, the opponent she is facing, and what the world expects.

She simply does not care. “People are entitled to their opinion,” Scott said. “I don’t really care. I don’t have to change that. My focus is just 100 percent on Saturday night, putting all the energy where it deserves to be.”

For Shields, August 15 represents another chance to prove her dominance across weight classes. She believes the weight cut has gone smoothly, her strength remains intact, and her conditioning is where it needs to be. For Scott, it is the culmination of 18 years in boxing, 120 amateur fights, years representing her country, and a professional journey that has already led her to championship gold.

Shields is coming down to Scott’s division, but Scott has no intention of stepping aside.  “I’m confident in my ability and what I can bring,” Scott said. “I’ve given myself every possible opportunity to go in there and be in the best form to win.”

And in the end, Scott summed up the entire fight in a single line. “The war always starts in the mind.”