Claressa Shields Defeats Kaye Scott, Remains Number One in Women’s Pound-for-Pound Rankings
Claressa Shields continued her dominance in women’s boxing with a decisive victory over Kaye Scott by sixth-round TKO on August 15 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The win solidifies Shields’ position as the No. 1 boxer in the ESPN women’s pound-for-pound rankings, marking her first stoppage victory since 2024.
In a significant move down in weight, Shields reclaimed the WBC and WBA middleweight titles after previously reigning as the undisputed heavyweight champion. Her speed and relentless aggression rendered Scott unable to establish her rhythm throughout the bout.
Following the fight, Shields expressed her desire to compete against WBC, IBF, and WBA women’s welterweight champion Lauren Price by December or January. She also mentioned interest in facing WBC and WBA junior middleweight champion Mikaela Mayer or engaging in a unification bout with recently crowned WBO and IBF middleweight champion Tamm Thibeault.
In a related event, Dina Thorslund claimed the title of undisputed women’s bantamweight champion on August 8 in Orlando, Florida, defeating Cherneka Johnson decisively. Thorslund’s victory was comprehensive, as she won every round according to all three judges’ scorecards. With this win, she enters the ESPN pound-for-pound rankings at No. 10.
Current Top 10 Women’s Pound-for-Pound Rankings
- Claressa Shields – Record: 19-0, 4 KOs; Division: Undisputed heavyweight champion; unified middleweight champion; Last Fight: W (TKO6) Kaye Scott, Aug. 15; Next Fight: TBA
- Katie Taylor – Record: 25-1, 6 KOs; Division: Unified junior welterweight champion; Last Fight: W (MD10) Amanda Serrano, July 11, 2025; Next Fight: Sept. 5 vs. Flora Pili
- Gabriela Fundora – Record: 18-0, 10 KOs; Division: Undisputed flyweight champion; Last Fight: W (KO6) Viviana Ruiz Corredor, March 14; Next Fight: TBA
- Amanda Serrano – Record: 49-4-1, 32 KOs; Division: Unified featherweight champion; Last Fight: W (TKO2) Cheyenne Hanson, May 30; Next Fight: Friday vs. Lucrecia Anabella Manzur
- Chantelle Cameron – Record: 22-1, 8 KOs; Division: Junior middleweight champion; Last Fight: W (UD10) Michaela Kotaskova, April 5; Next Fight: Aug. 29 vs. Mikaela Mayer
- Alycia Baumgardner – Record: 18-1, 7 KOs; Division: Unified junior lightweight champion; Last Fight: W (UD10) Bo Mi Re Shin, April 17; Next Fight: TBA
- Mikaela Mayer – Record: 22-2, 5 KOs; Division: Welterweight champion; unified junior middleweight champion; Last Fight: W (UD10) Mary Spencer, Oct. 30, 2025; Next Fight: Aug. 29 vs. Chantelle Cameron
- Lauren Price – Record: 10-0, 2 KOs; Division: Unified welterweight champion; Last Fight: W (UD10) Stephanie Pineiro, April 4; Next Fight: TBA
- Ellie Scotney – Record: 12-0, 0 KOs; Division: Featherweight; Last Fight: W (UD10) Mayelli Flores, April 5; Next Fight: TBA
- Dina Thorslund – Record: 25-0, 9 KOs; Division: Undisputed bantamweight champion; Last Fight: W (UD10) Cherneka Johnson, Aug. 8; Next Fight: TBA
The rankings are determined through a points system based on expert votes, with Shields and Taylor consistently taking the top two spots across various submissions.
Special Credits: Image Courtesy of Espn
