Claressa Shields Makes Unannounced Wrestling Debut During Sukeban Event in NYC

Women’s unified heavyweight champion Claressa Shields stunned Joshi wrestling fans on Tuesday with her unexpected appearance at a Sukeban event in New York City. Commander Nakajima was initially expected to team with Marigold’s Victoria Yuzuki in a Gang Warfare four-way tag team match. When Yuzuki was pulled from the card due to an injury, Nakajima was left without a partner, or so fans thought.

In the middle of the match, the lights went out, and Shields (18-0, 3 KOs) was announced as Nakajima’s mystery partner. Fans inside the Hammerstein Ballroom were pleasantly surprised to see Shields, who ended up scoring the pinfall for her team.

Shields has long expressed interest in entering the world of professional wrestling. During a 2023 appearance on the “Scoop B Radio Podcast,” the two-time Olympic gold medalist urged WWE to call her anytime to discuss business. She even tagged former WWE world titleholder Bianca Belair to suggest a tag team.

Shields’ name has been in the headlines recently following an incident during the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano event, which was hosted by Most Valuable Promotions. Shields and former friend-turned-rival Alycia Baumgardner exchanged words in the VIP section. This led Shields delivering a slap to Baumgardner.

MVP issued a statement revealing that Shields has been banned from the promotion’s future events until further notice. Baumgardner also plans to take legal action against Shields.

“MVP maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy for hostile, threatening, or aggressive behavior toward fighters, staff, media, or guests at any of our events,” the statement read. “Physical altercations outside the ring or cage are unacceptable in any MVP environment. MVP does not condone, tolerate, or accept Claressa Shields’ behavior in that setting and it reflects poorly on MVP and women’s sports, which we have worked tirelessly to uplift.”

Prior to the VIP incident with Baumgardner, Shields and MVP co-founder Jake Paul had their share of issues. Shields took exception to Paul calling Amanda Serrano the real “GWOAT,” a distinction that Shields believes she has earned by securing undisputed titles in three different weight classes. Shields expressed her frustrations with Paul during an interview with Fight Hub TV last year.

Things between Shields and Paul further spiraled when “The Problem Child” called the “GWOAT” a “bitter, jealous loser” during an appearance on the All The Smoke Fight podcast. Shields responded by calling for a beatdown of Paul and even said she could outbox the popular internet personality turned combat sports promoter.

Fernando Quiles Jr.

Fernando has been covering combat sports and pro wrestling for over a decade. He currently writes for BJPenn.com and has also contributed for Sports Illustrated’s MMA Knockout. Fernando is excited to be a part of FightsATW to provide you with the latest news content in the world of pro wrestling.

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