The drama in women’s boxing just hit a whole new level of messy, and this time, it didn’t even happen inside the squared circle.
The undisputed women’s heavyweight G.O.A.T., Claressa Shields, has officially been barred from all future Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) events. Why? Because things got way too real backstage at the Intuit Dome over the weekend during MVP’s big inaugural MMA event, headlined by the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano comeback.
Cameras caught the moment Shields and unified junior lightweight champ Alycia “The Bomb” Baumgardner started exchanging some heavy words cageside, and before security could even blink, Shields let her emotions get the best of her. She reached across the space and slapped Baumgardner. Now although the clip showed Baumgardner encouraging Shields to “whoop” her, Shields may now be facing some legal issues ahead.
MVP Drops the Hammer
Jake Paul’s promotional company wasn’t playing any games with the G.O.A.T. By Tuesday morning, MVP released a statement completely cutting ties with Shields for the foreseeable future.
“MVP maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy for hostile, threatening, or aggressive behavior toward fighters, staff, media, or guests… Effective immediately, Claressa Shields is banned from all MVP events until further notice. There is a time and a place for fighter tension and banter, but to physically attack a fellow athlete while there as a guest inside a private VIP area is unacceptable.”
MVP also gave Alycia her props for keeping her composure and not turning the VIP section into a full-on royal rumble, thanking her for not retaliating and making a bad situation worse.
The Aftermath: “Checkmate” and Lawsuits
While Shields went to social media to defend her actions, claiming Baumgardner was being verbally aggressive and threatened her first—”The Bomb” is taking a much different route. She’s taking it to the courts.
Baumgardner hopped on X (formerly Twitter) to let the world know she’s not letting the physical assault slide. Without even naming Shields directly, she made it clear that her legal team is already on the clock.
“The situation that occurred on Saturday was unprovoked and entirely consistent with the individual involved,” Baumgardner posted. “This situation has been and will continue to be handled legally and professionally. My focus remains far beyond individuals who lack discipline, professionalism and self-control—inside or outside the ring.”
She followed that up with a simple, petty, and pointed tweet: “Checkmate.”
Big Money, Big Rivalries
Honestly, this ban might hurt Shields’ pride more than her pockets. Back in November 2025, she secured her bag by signing a historic $8 million deal with Salita Promotions and Wynn Records, so she doesn’t technically need MVP to get paid. Meanwhile, Baumgardner is locked in with MVP, having just defended her titles at Madison Square Garden back in April.
But losing VIP access to the biggest, most celebrity-packed fight cards in the game is a major blow to the visibility.
We reached out to Shields who is undefeated at 18-0, but heard nothing back yet.