Claressa Shields, the two-time Olympic gold medalist and undisputed world champion, is preparing for a new chapter in 2026—motherhood.
Appearing on The Pivot Podcast, the 30-year-old boxer revealed that she and rapper Papoose have mapped out plans to start a family next year. For Shields, the timing isn’t a detour from her career—it’s part of the same carefully built strategy she’s long applied inside the ring. “I’m gonna have a baby next year,” she said. “We already had it planned out. I’m gonna have baby next year.”
Shields plans motherhood with champion precision
Her tone, steady and intentional, spoke volumes about how seriously she’s approaching this transition. She added that once she gives birth, she plans to return to boxing before potentially expanding her family further. “And then after I go through my stuff, then I’ll come back and fight and fight some more, and then probably have another one and then do the same thing again.”
Shields made clear that age is a factor in her decision. She stated, “Like, I don’t want to wait till I’m 40, 43, or whatever, after my career, to have my kids. I want to be able to run at the park with my kids and stuff like that. I want to be too old.”
She credited her clean lifestyle as a benefit going into the process. “I don’t drink, I don’t smoke—I think that’ll also help me too when I’m going through this body- and life-changing stuff next year.” For Shields, it’s a future as calculated as any title defense: one that balances both gloves and growth.
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