American boxing great Claressa Shields found herself getting suspended after registering a test result to the use of the drugs. The Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission (MUCC) acted by suspending her in the interim, citing concerns about the integrity of the activity and the health and wellbeing of the fighters. The World Boxing Organization (WBO) also opened up an investigation into the scandal, fueling the fire around the incident.
Shields, the first man and first woman to hold the belts in three divisions in the modern four-belt era, tested positive for THC from an oral fluid test he underwent after his February 3, 2025, fight. The test result came just days after his victory over Danielle Perkins at the Dort Financial Center in Flint, Mich., to become the undisputed heavyweight champion.
Despite Michigan’s 2018 legalization of recreational use, the use of the substance in-competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) continues to be outlawed. The Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission considered the test result by Shields to be a threat to the integrity of the sport and ruled to suspend her temporarily while investigations are carried out.
The WBO, having no jurisdiction to suspend fighters immediately, also sought in writing from Shields the explanation about the test result. The investigation by the MUCC, in turn, shall determine if additional disciplinary actions, including fines and suspensions, shall be invoked.
Shields swiftly replied to the allegations in the social networks, asserting that she did not participate in any wrongdoing, and in the process, upheld her clean image. In a public statement, she complained about the allegations, asserting that she “never smoked weed” and blaming the traces found to possible second-hand smoke at the event.
“I have never smoked during the course of my life,” Shields responded. “I look after my body and I look after my livelihood. I believe in clean fighting, and I’ll challenge this suspension.”
Her defense gained support from Victor Conte, a well-known anti-doping specialist and nutrition expert. Conte referred to the extremely low figures in the system and how this added credence to the theory of environmental, and not intentional, use.
Shields also confirmed to contest the suspension, saying, “I will be going to trial over this tiny amount.”
Shields’ suspension has stirred up controversy in the world of boxing and beyond. A lot of the public and commentators have questioned the use and efficacy of bans on the use of marijuana in the world of professional sporting.
Prominent sports commentators and other sporting competitors also defended Shields. Some opined that the use of marijuana doesn’t enhance sporting abilities and shouldn’t be included in the same category as drugs. Other individuals, however, opined the rules are the rules and sporting competitors are expected to obey existing anti-doping laws, regardless of what others feel about the use of marijuana.
Boxing analyst Teddy Atlas opined about the scandal, “It’s a tough case. Shields is a making-history kind of boxer, but anti-doping regulation serves a purpose. Whether the use of marijuana continues to be on the banned list, the regulation must be obeyed.”
The controversy comes immediately after Shields secured her place in the boxing hall of record. Her victory in the bout against Perkins represented the first American boxer to possess an undisputed heavyweight title in 1992, making her all the more settled in her position among the all-time great in the sport. Throughout her career, Shields has been a trailblazer, having won the 2012 and 2016 Games and proceeding to become a professional boxer. Her dominance in multiple weights has marked her as a generational boxer, and her most recent victory marked a defining moment in the world and in the world of boxing and in the world of boxing.
