Andre Ward, Andre Dirrell and Andre Berto discuss disrespect of Claressa Shields

At the very least, Claressa Shields is one of the most accomplished female boxers of this era. Shields, of course, believes she’s not only the best woman in boxing now but the best ever, referring to herself as the Greatest Woman of All Time, or GWOAT.

And yet Shields is criticized and derided by some, despite her being a two-time Olympic gold medalist, the last American boxer to win Olympic gold, and despite her professional credentials after winning world titles at super middleweight, undisputed championships at middleweight and junior middleweight and, most recently, titles in the 175-pound weight class.

And that criticism of Shields has thrown the previous Olympic gold medalist – Andre Ward – for a loop. 

Ward recently discussed this with two other Andres, both of whom know Shields. Former super middleweight contender Andre Dirrell is from Flint, Michigan, and has known Shields since she was 11 or 12. Andre Berto is friends with Shields.

“I’ve been seeing the Claressa conversation online for some time now,” Ward said on All The Smoke Fight, where the Hall of Fame former super middleweight and light heavyweight champ is now the platform’s chief content officer. “I’m seeing grown men with kids, like, really disrespecting her, talking about maybe appearance or what they don’t like about her. They’re not keeping it in the ring. Even some of the in-ring stuff is just disrespectful. I don’t really appreciate that, man. What is all the hate and vitriol that’s coming at Claressa Shields? Where is that coming from?”

Dirrell chalks it up to what he calls Shields’ “dominant presence” and how some men just respond poorly to that.

“She knew that she would change the face of boxing for women,” Dirrell said. “She knew this at an early age. She told me how the gym was her safe haven, not a place to blow off steam. A safe haven. She was made for this sport. She’s a powerful presence, and that’s awkward for a lot of men.”

Berto noted many of the things that Shields does in order to continue to build her legacy and receive the attention and acclaim she believes she deserves.

“She continues to feel like she has to do more and more and more to continue to try to gain any type of real respect,” Berto said. “If it’s boxing, if it’s MMA, if it’s doing rap videos, if it’s YouTube. She’s trying to deliver to a different type of height because she feels like she needs to, because she’s still not getting that type of love, notoriety, sponsors.”

Ward advised that Shields should just go about her career and pay no attention to those who don’t appreciate her.

“Rest in her greatness, rest in what she’s accomplished and finish her career out strong,” he said. “Get as many bags as she can, maintain her integrity in the process and try to leave this thing undefeated. And then let the people talk.”

Follow David Greisman on Twitter @FightingWords2. His book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.