Claressa Shields’ team has issued a stern response to news that the three-division undisputed champion had tested positive for marijuana.
Shields was suspended by the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission on Thursday and was issued a related “show cause notice” by the WBO after the commission accused Shields of testing positive for marijuana following her win over Danielle Perkins on February 2 in her hometown of Flint.
The 29-year-old Shields, 16-0 (3 KOs), has yet to comment publicly on the situation. However, her promoter, Dmitry Salita, shared his comments with BoxingScene and on social media on Friday:
“Claressa Shields has built her career on hard work, discipline and an unwavering commitment to clean competition,” Salita said. “She stands by her record, her historic achievements and her integrity as a world champion. She has been an inspiration to countless men and women throughout the United States and throughout the world since she was a teenage Olympian.”
In the official communication from WBO founding president Luis Batista Salas, which was addressed to Salita, Shields was said to have submitted an oral fluid sample that “indicated a positive result for the presence of Marijuana (THC).”
The WBO’s show cause notice – which Shields’ team has 30 days to respond to – essentially serves as a motion directing Shields to provide evidence disproving the violation. In addition to her suspension from the Michigan commission, Shields could be stripped of the WBO’s version of the women’s heavyweight title.
Salita maintains Shields’ innocence and believes she has an airtight case that will clear her name.
“This is a pending matter with the Michigan commission and, as such, I cannot share much more,” Salita told BoxingScene. “However, we are 100 percent confident that Claressa Shields will be vindicated when this matter concludes and all the evidence is heard.”
Shields’ nutritionist Victor Conte – who is very knowledgeable when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs but is not necessarily an expert in marijuana testing – says only trace amounts of marijuana were found in her sample; BoxingScene has not obtained a copy of the test results to verify this claim. Conte says it is abnormal for commissions to utilize mouth swabs for the sake of marijuana testing, and he believes Shields could have tested positive due to secondhand smoke in the arena or from other contact with people who had recently smoked marijuana.
A phone call placed to the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission after business hours Friday was sent to voicemail. BoxingScene will update this report with any comments or updates after its publishing.
Marijuana, while banned in some jurisdictions, including Michigan, is otherwise not universally viewed as a performance-enhancing drug. While the World Anti-Doping Agency has banned all cannabinoid usage for in-competition testing, the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, or VADA, removed the substance from its testing list in 2012.
In 2021, the Nevada State Athletic Commission – which had previously issued severe penalties to some fighters who tested positive for marijuana – said it would no longer punish fighters who used cannabis unless they showed up impaired, and therefore wouldn’t be allowed to fight.
“One thing I can say with confidence: Claressa Shields did not and does not ingest illicit drugs of any kind, including marijuana,” Salita said. “And there is nothing in this instance that will tarnish her still-growing legacy.”
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