A misunderstanding between Claressa Shields and Amanda Serrano has sparked a broad discussion about who can be considered the best female fighter, often referred to as the “Greatest Woman of All-Time” or GWOAT, in this modern era. Their interaction on social media has highlighted the complexities of women’s boxing, where multiple fighters could be contenders for the GWOAT title.
Both Claressa Shields (14-0, 2 KO’s) and Amanda Serrano (47-2-1, 31 KO’s) are recognized as two of the top female fighters of their generation. However, reaching a consensus on who is the actual #1 fighter remains subjective. Shields has claimed the GWOAT title due to her achievements, including becoming undisputed champion twice in the four-belt era. She is the youngest and fastest-rising undisputed champion and the first female boxer to achieve this twice—a feat matched by Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 KO’s) last November when Taylor defeated Chantelle Cameron (19-1, 8 KO’s) to become the undisputed super lightweight (140 lbs) champion.
Although the GWOAT status is unofficial, Shields was offended by Amanda Serrano’s claim to the GWOAT title, especially after revisiting a series of Tweets Serrano made about three years ago:
Shields reacted strongly to Serrano’s past Twitter/X posts, even though her upcoming fight on July 27th against Canadian WBC heavyweight (200+ lbs) champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse (7-1, 2 KO’s) should be her focus.
While Serrano has referred to herself as the GWOAT, she has also consistently labeled Shields as the GWOAT over the past several years:
Amanda Serrano has further distinguished herself by claiming the GWOAT title in the lower divisions. Given the different weight classes, career trajectories, and challenges faced by the two fighters, a direct comparison is challenging:
Ultimately, the dispute between Shields and Serrano seems to be a case of misunderstanding, with Serrano consistently praising both herself and Shields, along with other female fighters, for their contributions to boxing—a stance she reaffirmed recently.
While Shields’ reaction to Serrano’s use of the GWOAT label reflects her competitive spirit, it may be seen as misplaced given Shields’ current focus on her heavyweight fight and the fact that no GWOAT can be definitively determined during their careers—similar to how Muhammad Ali was only considered the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) after retirement.
In Ali’s case, the GOAT label was not officially recognized but widely accepted due to his accomplishments within the sport. Given there are several female fighters who can vie for the title of GWOAT due to their own successes, Shields’ self-labelling might be premature, or even unwarranted given the achievements of her own peers.
Currently, both Shields and Serrano could be considered generational fighters, and while the label of GWOAT does appear to be a coveted title, the status fails to acknowledge the multiple figures that have contributed to the sport. As it pertains to women’s division, which is still developing to the point where it can match the popularity and interest in the men’s division, the GWOAT label appears unimportant in a time where multiple female fighters have distinguished themselves through their own greatness.
