Claressa Shields has had her drug test failure suspension lifted, but still may face an ‘enforcement action’ from the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission.
That’s the latest wonky news regarding the case, which has confused us since word came out that the undisputed female heavyweight champion tested positive for marijuana following her one-sided win over Danielle Perkins in February.
Shields immediately came out swinging against the charges, bringing on infamous BALCO PED expert Victor Conte to poke holes in Michigan’s drug testing procedure. He said the 3.4 ng/ml of marijuana that showed up in a mouth swab was considered “an ultra-trace amount which likely came from second-hand smoke in the arena.”
#freeClaressaShields #Gwoat… pic.twitter.com/DBxNks0LnN
— Claressa Gwoat Shields (@Claressashields) March 14, 2025
fought the charges during a March 6th meeting, which led to a March 14th announcement from the commission lifting the suspension.
“They asked was I around someone that was smoking? Yeah, the Dort Federal,” Shields said on RapHouseTV, referencing the Flint, Michigan arena where she fought. “Everyone was in there smoking, girl.”
“I don’t sit around no one when they’re smoking weed,” she added. “That’s not how I roll … For everybody that was puttin’ that I was smoking weed and putting that weed s—t on my name, you owe me an apology.”
“Officially unsuspended!’’ Shields wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “But y’all a little quiet! Y’all was real loud about me ‘supposedly’ smoking marijuana and being suspended! No worries! And still an Undisputed heavyweight champ! I have the Order to prove it!!!”
But tucked into the MUCC’s order was a note that “The Order does not resolve the Formal Complaint,” and “does not close the enforcement action.”
That means she could still be fined or have her win over Perkins overturned, which means the IBF, WBO, and WBA heavyweight titles she won would presumably be taken away from her.
The whole situation is clearly still weighing on Shields’ mind.
“After dealing with what I’ve been dealing with, I’m considering moving out the country, starting a boxing program in Africa & opening a school for under served kids,” she wrote in another tweet. “I’m really not with the BS the USA be having. Too much racism, sexism and even though everyone yell ‘equality’ there is none.”
“I’ve literally bust my ass to get in the position I’m in, and it’s still people working overtime to try and dim my light.”
