The first punch I learned was the jab. Second, the cross punch; third, the hook - after that, all the combinations and how to move my head and feet. It took me just two months to be ready to get in the ring!

Being a woman fighter, I can't just go out there and manhandle a girl, I need to be very strategic: Use my skills, head movement and defence, then seek and destroy.

From my first fight, I loved being in the ring. I tune everything out - the lights, the smells, the noise - so I'm in this zone where I'm performing only for myself.

Claressa Shields Quotes