Claressa Shields signs historic $8 million deal: ‘Getting my just due’

Claressa Shields announces historic $8 million two-year fighting contract with Salita Promotions and Wynn Records.

Claressa Shields is not only the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, a five-division world champion, and a two-time Olympic gold medal fighter; she’s also now the highest-paid woman in the ring.

On Thursday, Nov. 6, the 30-year-old boxing star and rapper announced she signed a historic multi-fight contract with Salita Promotions and Wynn Records, which guarantees her no less than $8 million over the next two years, according to Ring Magazine.

“I’ve fought my entire career to prove that women’s boxing deserves equal respect, equal pay, and equal opportunity,” Shields said in a release, per CBS Sports. “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.”

The groundbreaking agreement marks another major milestone in Shields’ already storied career. In 2012, the Flint, Michigan native became the youngest Olympic boxing gold medalist in history at 17, and then won again at 21 to become the first American boxer—male or female—to earn back-to-back gold medals. Now 17-0 with three knockouts, the fighter dubbed “T-Rex” remains ESPN’s No. 1 pound-for-pound women’s boxer.

While speaking to “CBS Mornings” ahead of the announcement, Shields explained that the publicized figure only scratches the surface of what she’ll earn through the contract. 

“That’s the thing about this deal, it’s a signing bonus,” she said. “Before I step into the ring, I get a large amount. The $8 million is just the minimum. It’s other stuff you get. So this deal is actually bigger than $8 million. That’s just the number that we decided to put out there.”

Shields also reflected on what this moment means for all women athletes. 

“Listen, women in sports have been doing a lot the last past couple years, with the WNBA, soccer, even in boxing — I’m not the only woman who’s making money. But to have this deal get done, I feel like, you know, I’m getting my just due,” she said.