Losing a loved one always throws us a bit off balance. American boxer Alycia Baumgardner lost her father over a month ago, and she still isn’t able to come to terms with it. Last month on May 1st, she shared a post on X and wrote, “Laying my dad to rest today”.

So, the boxer wrote in an X post, “I was working out today and it hit me my dad not calling to check up on me anymore. I’m hurt I’ll keep pushing though…”. Following that, she expressed how the memory of her father breaks her, and said, “Will randomly start crying… death feels unreal.” 

The comments section was cluttered with comments consoling her and supporting her through this ordeal. Amidst this, popular boxing reporter Michelle Joy Phelps also shared her condolences as she commented on Baumgardner’s post and said, “I’m so sorry you’re going through it.”  

Her father, Mario Guzman, had been training in boxing himself. Even Alycia’s grandmother, uncles and cousins had a history of boxing in the ring or training. Alycia’s father taught his daughter little things about boxing at an early age of 2. While talking about her father’s contribution in her journey, Alycia once stated, “The biggest thing my dad has told me that stuck with me is, keep trying, push harder, you know, you are young once and he knows. He’s seen this talent since I was younger and he just always pushed me. Like staying in the gym and pushing me in the sports, and for him, I’m very thankful for that.”

‘The Bomb’ began her career in wrestling and then participated in cheerleading. Mario asked her if she wanted to box one day. An 8-year-old Alycia said yes saying, “I’ll try it out.” And there was no looking back since then, and gradually she deeply fell in love with sport. Her stellar boxing career is proof of that. Today, Baumgardner is considered one of the best boxers of this era. Fans have been anticipating her fight with another excellent boxer, Claressa Shields. The two regularly call each other names that are disparaging and make challenges to fight. But after hearing of Baumgardner’s father’s loss, even the GWOAT had to put her bitterness aside.

Claressa Shields chooses to change for the better

Not too long ago, Claressa Shields and Alycia Baumgardner were in attendance for the Richardson Hitchins and Gustavo Lemos bout. Shields was a commentator for the fight, and she left her position to confront her rival. The two got into a heated argument which has been making rounds online. Both of them are undisputed in their respective weight classes, in fact, Shields is indeed undisputed in two divisions.

Despite the weight difference, the two have given positive responses for a potential clash. However, when Claressa approached Baumgardner’s squad, she stated they weren’t even ready to entertain the possibility of a fight. She thinks Baumgardner has no intention of engaging in a bout and is only using this as clout. 

However, after learning about Baumgardner’s father’s demise, ‘T-Rex’ buried the hatchet and joined her rival in mourning the death of her father. A fan commented on Shields’ post, saying, “You been complaining about how fighters aren’t together anymore and against each other. @alyciambaum Dad just died this is an ideal time to make amends. If you not willing to put ya pride to the side stop crying about everybody else.” 

Following this, Shields put her ego away and wrote, “RIP to her father.” Both boxers may remain exceptional in their own regards but when it comes to a personal loss, they believe in putting their differences aside. We offer our prayers to Alycia and her family during this difficult time.