A potential blockbuster between Claressa Shields and Lauren Price should be staged on American soil, according to Shields' promoter Dmitriy Salita, who has described the prospective bout as a 'mega' fight.
Before that showdown can even be scheduled, Shields has a date with destiny of her own. She steps into the ring in the early hours of Sunday morning to face Kaye Scott, aiming to claim the WBC and WBA middleweight belts and secure a world title in that division for the third time in her career.
Price, the unified welterweight champion, has previously said she'd welcome a clash between two Olympic gold medallists further down the line. But Salita is adamant that home advantage should sit firmly with his fighter should the fight materialise.
"Claressa came down to middleweight to make the biggest fights possible," Salita told Sky Sports.
"She flew to see Lauren Price fight and I invited Price to be ringside for Claressa's fight on Saturday night."
"We want to make this a mega-event, and I believe that fight belongs in the United States."
"That being said, we love the UK and another fight there is certainly not out of the question. It's an incredible time for women's boxing."
However, according to Reuters, Shields herself has cast doubt on the timeline, suggesting the mega-fight with Price is more likely to land in the first quarter of 2027 rather than happening imminently. This marks a shift from earlier reports - DAZN had described the pair as having 'confirmed' a mega-fight for the end of 2026 back in April, while ESPN has noted the matchup was discussed but never officially finalised, which helps explain the shifting goalposts around when it might actually happen.
The immediate task: Scott in Atlanta
Before any of that, Shields must get past Scott. The bout was officially confirmed back in June as a title fight for the WBC and WBA middleweight belts, according to ESPN, and takes place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Shields arrives with an 18-0 record including 3 knockouts, while Scott's ledger stands at 5-1-1, according to figures reported by Forbes. Broadcast details have varied slightly across outlets - DAZN promotional material listed the card's start time as 9 p.m. ET, while other coverage, including a report from ClickOnDetroit, put the main card's start at 8:30 p.m. ET.
"Scott is ready and highly motivated, and Claressa always comes to make a statement," said Salita.
"I expect an electric fight at State Farm Arena. It will be the first time a woman has headlined a combat sports event in this historic building, and we expect a multi-figure gate."
"That's a tremendous milestone for Claressa, women's boxing and the sport as a whole."
Shields has never been shy about her own standing in the sport, branding herself the GWOAT - the Greatest Woman Of All Time. With Katie Taylor set to retire next month, Shields has a clear opportunity to reinforce her claim as the world's leading female fighter.
That debate over who truly sits at the top of women's boxing has already been rumbling elsewhere. Our earlier coverage detailed how promoter Nakisa Bidarian has been talking up Caroline Dubois as the fighter with the ingredients to succeed Katie Taylor as boxing's biggest star, even as Salita insists Shields is already the sport's definitive number one and has been tipped as boxing's next big draw in her own right.
"Every one of Claressa's fights is historic," said Salita.
"This will be only the second time in more than 120 years of boxing that a fighter has come down from heavyweight to become middleweight world champion."
"Claressa is a generational talent and a legacy-defining champion, and August 15 will be another history-making night."
What happens next
Shields' clash with Scott at State Farm Arena on August 15, 2026 remains the immediate focus. Beyond that, any Shields-Price showdown now looks set for the first quarter of 2027 rather than later this year, per Reuters. That timeline fits with earlier reporting from BBC Sport, which suggested in early April that Price was expected to have another fight of her own before any planned two-fight deal with Shields got underway, following talks between the two camps first reported that same month by BBC Sport.
