World champion boxer Claressa Shields was flying high after winning the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Women’s Heavyweight title in early February after holding the same status in three different weight classes. These accomplishments are joined by multiple Olympic gold medals, titles, and awards.
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Unfortunately, celebrations were marred by a harshly worded announcement from the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission (UCC). The commission announced that the boxer’s professional license was suspended due to a positive cannabis result. The positive sample was collected the day after she defeated Danielle Perkins. In response to the result, the commission issued a strongly worded response.
“Ms. Shields’ conduct as a licensed professional boxer constitutes an immediate threat to the integrity of professional boxing, the public interest, and the welfare and safety of professional athletes,” the Michigan Commission said, Reuters reports.
The athlete took to Instagram after news of the positive saliva test broke, posting a Quest Diagnostic urinalysis collected on February 8, 2025, that showed no cannabis present in her system.
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The caption to her post provided a timeline of events. Basically, she got news of the positive saliva test and scheduled a urine test for the next day. Since cannabis stays in the system, these results are considered valid for the time of the fight.
“I’ve always competed clean, and I stand by that,” she wrote in the caption. “I take my integrity seriously inside and outside the ring.”
The World Boxing Organization does not have the authority to suspend athletes but presented Shields with a “show notice,” which indicates she broke a rule and opened the floor for an explanation. Meanwhile, the Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) is investigating the matter.
“LARA can confirm that a Formal Complaint and Order of Summary Suspension was issued on February 12, 2025, against Clarissa Shields’s professional boxer license,” Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) communications director Abby Rubley said to GreenState. “However, LARA cannot comment on ongoing administrative proceedings.”
LARA investigations will include interviews with the person filing the complaint, Shields, and others who may have information on the situation. They also collect evidence, like the Quest urinalysis, before releasing inquiry results. Ruling on the heavyweight title will come down once the investigation is complete.
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All public comments from Shields’s camp have been positive that she will be cleared of wrongdoing. Certain oral fluid drug tests have up to a 10 percent rate of false positives, and some point to residual smoke in the air as the culprit. Whatever the circumstances, Shields’s manager, Mark Taffet, is disappointed in how things played out and said as much to World Boxing News.
“Incredibly sad to see this prejudging act by WBO before the due process hearing where we will present some very impactful information to the folks in Michigan,” Taffet concluded. “All who have prejudged will be sorry for their words.”
