Shields Stays No. 1 and Thorslund Debuts in Women's Pound-for-Pound Rankings

Claressa Shields reclaimed the WBC and WBA middleweight titles with a sixth-round TKO, securing her top spot in the women's pound-for-pound rankings.

Claressa Shields remains the No. 1 fighter in the ESPN women's pound-for-pound rankings following her sixth-round TKO victory over Kaye Scott at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The undisputed heavyweight champion dropped in weight to reclaim the WBC and WBA middleweight titles on August 15, marking her first stoppage since a second-round TKO of Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in July 2024. Shields now holds a professional record of 19-0 with 4 KOs. In Orlando on August 8, Dina Thorslund secured the No. 10 spot in the rankings by defeating Cherneka Johnson via unanimous decision, winning every round on all three judges' scorecards to become the undisputed bantamweight champion.

Shields Targets Unification and New Challengers

Following her win against Scott, Shields expressed interest in a December or January bout against Lauren Price, the current WBC, IBF, and WBA welterweight champion. The top-ranked fighter also identified Mikaela Mayer, who holds WBC and WBA junior middleweight titles, as a potential opponent. Additionally, Shields mentioned a possible unification match against Tamm Thibeault, the recently crowned WBO and IBF middleweight champion. Price, currently ranked No. 8 with a 10-0 record, was ringside for Shields' latest performance and previously defeated Natasha Jonas in March 2025 and Stephanie Pineiro on April 4.

The Elite Top Five: Taylor, Fundora, and Serrano

Katie Taylor holds the No. 2 position with a 25-1 record and 6 KOs. She is scheduled for a farewell fight on September 5 at Croke Park in Dublin against Flora Pili, where an expected 80,000 fans will watch the unified junior welterweight champion attempt to become a three-division undisputed titleholder. Gabriela Fundora sits at No. 3 with an 18-0 record and 10 KOs. The 5-foot-9 undisputed flyweight champion extended her knockout streak to four fights by stopping Viviana Ruiz Corredor in the sixth round on March 14. Amanda Serrano, ranked No. 4, holds a 49-4-1 record and 32 KOs, tying Christy Martin’s record. Serrano, a seven-division champion, recently defeated Cheyenne Hanson via second-round TKO on May 30 and faces Lucrecia Anabella Manzur this Friday.

Middleweight and Junior Lightweight Contenders

Chantelle Cameron occupies the No. 5 spot with a 22-1 record. The WBO middleweight titleholder is set to face Mikaela Mayer on August 29 in a three-belt unification bout. Mayer, tied for No. 6, moved up from the seventh spot and holds a 22-2 record. Alycia Baumgardner shares the No. 6 ranking with an 18-1 record. After vacating her WBC junior lightweight belt to fight a 12-round bout against Leila Beaudoin in December 2025, Baumgardner is considering a move to lightweight to challenge Caroline Dubois. Ellie Scotney, ranked No. 9, recently vacated her belts after becoming the youngest undisputed champion in U.K. boxing history with a unanimous decision over Mayelli Flores on April 5.

Ranking Methodology and Voting Results

These rankings utilize a descending points system where a first-place vote earns 10 points and a tenth-place vote earns one. Shields received all six first-place votes from the panel, which included Nick Parkinson, Salvador Rodriguez, James Regan, Bernardo Pilatti, Andres Ferrari, and Damian Delgado Averhoff. Taylor earned all six second-place votes. Other fighters receiving votes outside the top 10 included Caroline Dubois with three points and Estefania Alegria with one point. Thorslund’s debut at No. 10 follows her return to the 118-pound division for the first time since October 2024, bringing her career record to 25-0 with 9 KOs.