Claressa Shields has won two Olympic gold medals, become a world champion in five weight divisions and remained unbeaten as a professional. There is still one boxing moment she wants badly enough to make a public appeal directly to Beyoncé.
During a new interview with TMZ Sports, Shields addressed the singer directly: “Before I retire, I need you to walk me out.” She said Beyoncé could choose the song and decide how much of it she wanted to perform.
The request comes less than two weeks after Shields returned to middleweight and stopped Kaye Scott in the sixth round at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The victory improved Shields to 19-0 and returned the WBA and WBC middleweight titles to her collection.
Beyoncé has been on Shields’ boxing wish list for years. Shields made another public appeal to the singer before her 2019 fight with Christina Hammer, although at the time she was simply hoping Beyoncé would attend.
Shields Says Beyoncé Can Set the Terms
Shields did not arrive at TMZ with an elaborate performance already planned. She said Beyoncé could pick the music and that even 30 seconds or a minute of performing would be enough before Shields entered the ring.
She also made clear that she was not attaching other demands to the appearance. Shields described the ring walk as her only request and said she would not even ask Beyoncé for a photo if the singer did not want one. TMZ reported that Shields is not particular about which future fight gets the Beyoncé entrance as long as it happens before her career ends.
She Has Been Trying to Get Beyoncé to a Fight for Years
The latest invitation is more ambitious than the one Shields made in 2019. Before facing Christina Hammer in Atlantic City, she told TMZ Sports that she wanted Beyoncé in the crowd and would be thrilled simply to have the singer attend and speak with her.
Shields went on to defeat the previously unbeaten Hammer by unanimous decision at Boardwalk Hall, becoming the undisputed middleweight champion.
Latto Just Joined Shields for Her Atlanta Ring Walk
Shields’ most recent fight provided a high-profile example of the kind of entrance she has in mind. Grammy-nominated Atlanta rapper Latto accompanied Shields to the ring for the August 15 bout with Scott, an appearance announced ahead of the event by Salita Promotions, Wynn Records and Zeus Network.
ClickOnDetroit reported that the Atlanta card was designed to combine championship boxing with music and celebrity appearances, with several artists assigned to fighter walkouts. Shields then dropped Scott and forced a sixth-round stoppage to reclaim the WBA and WBC middleweight championships in her first fight at 160 pounds since 2023.
Shields Says She Plans to Fight Until 38
Although Shields invoked retirement while making her appeal to Beyoncé, she is not describing an imminent exit from boxing. The 31-year-old told TMZ that she plans to continue fighting until she is 38, leaving several years for the ring walk to happen.
One of the biggest fights available to her is a matchup with Britain’s Lauren Price. Shields had initially hoped the fight could happen before the end of 2026, but Reuters reported earlier in August that Shields now expects the bout to take place in 2027, with Price’s return schedule among the factors still affecting the timing.