Claressa Shields isn’t just thinking about her next opponent—she’s planning for motherhood.
In a recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast, which dropped on Tuesday, July 22, the undefeated boxing champ opened up about her personal goals outside the ring, revealing she wants to start a family with rapper Papoose in 2026.
Shields, who’s 16-0 with three knockouts, explained that she doesn’t want to wait until later in life to have children, preferring to be a young, active mom.
“I don’t want to wait till I’m, you know, 40, 43, whatever, after my career, to have my kids,” Shields said on the show, which is hosted by former NFL stars Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor. “I want to be able to run at the park with my kids and stuff like that. I don’t want to be too old.”
While she plans to take a brief pause from boxing to focus on pregnancy and motherhood, the two-time Olympic gold medalist made it clear she has no intention of retiring. Shields emphasized that the break would be temporary, and she expects to return to the ring after having a child.
Shields also credits her clean lifestyle for her dominance in the sport and her future family plans. “I don’t drink, I don’t smoke—I think that’ll also help me too when I’m going through this whole body and life-changing stuff or, you know, whatever, next year,” she said.
The Michigan native is gearing up for her next fight on Saturday, July 26, where she’ll face Lani Daniels in front of a hometown crowd, according to USA Today. The bout marks her second of 2025, following a win over Danielle Perkins earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Papoose is still slogging it out with his estranged wife, Remy Ma. Back in May, Remy Ma accused Papoose of delaying their impending divorce proceedings, a claim Papoose subsequently denied.
