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NEW YORK — She came from the cracked concrete floor of the Berston Field House in Flint, Michigan, with its blood-stained canvas ring, and brittle concrete walls. Every time Claressa Shields hammered the heavybag — whomp, whomp, whomp — the creaky wooden rafts would shiver. That was her boxing incubator. It’s where a teenage girl had a place to retreat, where she could spill out her rage suppressing the sexual abuse she underwent as a 5-year-old from a family acquaintance and suicidal thoughts she battled when she was 13.

That fuel led to this on Thursday in New York, when Shields, the undefeated and undisputed women’s heavyweight world champion and five-division world champion, announced a historic deal, with a $ 3 million signing bonus, guaranteeing her a minimum $ 8 million, two-year, multi-fight contract in partnership with Salita Promotions, her original promoter, and Wynn Records.

Shields (17-0, 3 KOs), Uncrowned's No. 2 pound-for-pound women’s boxer, was looking for some stability after her heavyweight title defense over Lani Daniels in July. Instead, she decided to stay with Dmitriy Salita, who originally signed Shields, 30, to a promotional deal.

Shields wants this unique partnership to cross boundaries. The music label Wynn Records includes acclaimed rappers Los and Papoose, Shields’ boyfriend, whose real name is Shamele Mackie, the creative director of Wynn records.

“I put all my anger, all my sadness into boxing, and I continue to do that, because that is what works for me,” she said. “It is what keeps me calm. It is what keeps me good. With all the anger I had, I had to channel it somewhere. Channeling it into boxing has worked for me. Inside the ring, I haven’t had too many trials and tribulations. I have always tried to move forward past my trauma. But it is a part of you. I got therapy to get through some of it. I always knew things would get better.”

Shields’ life was made into a movie called “The Fire Inside,” which was released in the United States on Christmas Day 2024. On Thursday, it was Christmas in November for Shields.

“Claressa's story, talent, and determination embody everything our brand stands for," said Ruben Branson, owner and CEO of Wynn Records. “We're proud to stand beside her as she continues to make history. Together, we're setting a new standard for what's possible in the sport.”

The problem she faces is who out there could compete with her?

Her pro debut came against current unified WBC/WBA super middleweight world champion Franchon Crews Dezurn (10-2, 2 KOs). Many have been clamoring for Shields to fight former amateur star Shadasia Green (16-1, 11 KOs). Crews Dezurn beat Green by unanimous decision in December 2023, recovering from a July 2023 loss to Savannah Marshall, who lost to both Green, by split-decision, and to Shields by unanimous decision October 2022.

Shields is aiming to fight any one of those three in the first quarter of 2026 in either New York, Las Vegas, Detroit or Atlanta.

Yet, the “GWOAT” feels she has options.

“It could be either Franchon or Shadasia next, I don’t know. I do know no one can beat me right now, but we can certainly speculate,” Shields said. “I see myself fighting until I am 38. After these next two years, I will be 32, and I will have another six years to fight girls who are looking to take my spot. I think I can still go down to 160, if there is a big fight there. It would be a sacrifice, because my body has filled out at heavyweight. I would have to cut muscle to lose weight. With the right price and right opponent, I would be willing to make that sacrifice and dance around.”

Of Crews Dezurn and Green, there is a greater likelihood, multiple sources said, the next opponent would be Crews Dezurn.

For now, Shields can bask in this unprecedented deal.

“I am super proud of Claressa, I’m ecstatic,” said Papoose, who has been seeing Shields since 2024. “I know Claressa’s story. You look at everything Claressa has been through, and I ask myself whether or not I would have survived that. Look at all the trials and tribulations she has been through, and she has been able to turn that into lemonade. I think that is a blessing, and it speaks a lot about Claressa of who she is as a woman and why she is the definition of a fighter. She’s amazing. This is an amazing deal that she deserves and has earned.”

After her victory over Daniels in July, Shields thought about being a promotional free agent, but ended up re-signing with Salita.

“This is a record deal,” Salita said. “We want the biggest, and the best fights. I don’t negotiate on social media. This is a unique partnership, because our goal is to grow Claressa beyond the sports pages. We want to make Claressa a household name. The merger of boxing and hip-hop has been tried a million times, and it never really worked. We think these days with social media with music and boxing, and Claressa, it will work. We will have celebrities and international singers at Claressa’s fights.

“Claressa and I are pretty open. Claressa has grown to the level where she pays me, and everyone around her. She and I are friends. This move will put her in a very comfortable spot and help women’s boxing for sure.”

The two-time Olympic gold medalist sees a bigger picture ahead.

“This deal represents more than just a contract, it's a statement,” she said. “I've fought my entire career to prove that women's boxing deserves equal respect, equal pay, and equal opportunity. Partnering with Salita Promotions and Wynn Records gives me the platform to keep breaking barriers inside and outside the ring. Together, we're building something that's never been done before.

“I want to make people aware of my full womanhood. I want to be aware of who Claressa Shields is, aware of beauty, my brand power, and my star power.”

It’s light years from the young girl that would sneak through one of the back doors of the Berston Field House, a shadowy figure trying to meld into a world she would eventually dominate.

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