Over the years, we’ve seen boxing figures break down their ‘Mount Rushmore’ of boxing. Four immortals, listed by whoever it is making their choices, placed atop the entire boxing world. In reality, of course, Mount Rushmore immortalises four great US presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
Some of the ‘Mount Rushmores of boxing’ have seen legends like Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, and Henry Armstrong featured. But that’s the men’s boxers. Now, in what might be a first, (I’m not sure, but have you seen a woman’s ‘Mount Rushmore’ of boxing before?) Claressa Shields has named her women’s boxing ‘Mount Rushmore.’
Shields, who is unbeaten, is a world champion at multiple weights, and who calls herself the “GWOAT” (greatest woman of all-time), spoke with DAZN News, and here is what she had to say on the subject.
“Right now, if there’s a Mount Rushmore of women’s boxers, I would say it’s myself, Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, and maybe Mikaela Mayer,” Shields said. “You can even add Savannah Marshall. They have their own fanbase, fans come out to see them, and we all kind of get behind each other and support each other here and there.”
Shields, by including Marshall (whether she was being sarcastic or not is pretty much down to opinion), listed five women boxers, where there is, going by the rules, only room for four. Shields does give a good list, though. Shields herself would have to be up there on this fictional ‘Mount Rushmore,’ while plenty of fans will no doubt agree with Taylor being up there. Serrano and Mayer are both great fighters, but some fans might point to earlier women boxers, such as Christy Martin, Laila Ali, Holly Holm, Ann Wolfe, and more recently, Cecilia Braekhus.
But, as is the case with any list of this kind, or in the case of any list that attempts to name the greatest this or that, it’s down to opinion and nothing more.
Who are the four greatest female boxers of all-time?
