The Ring magazine shared its list of women’s P4P rankings. On expected grounds, some of the well-recognized names marked their presence. But then whispers began to emerge from a few corners. It was the usual case of some users voicing their concerns over omissions and inclusions. However, above all of this, Claressa Shields was happy.

For she stood at the top—pound-for-pound—the best boxer among women. The two-time Olympic gold medalist added another feather to her cap when she became a unified light heavyweight champion in June this year. Earlier in February, demonstrating her prowess in the cage, she defeated Kelsey DeSantis in Riyadh at the PFL vs. Bellator event.

Claressa Shields reigns supreme in women’s boxing

The champion’s emoji left no room for doubts. She was replying back to a boxing enthusiast’s tweet. The post featured her name topping the remaining nine. The list follows a few recent changes observed in women’s boxing.

On one hand, some two weeks ago, undisputed minimumweight champion Seniesa Estrada announced her retirement. Then, in the latest twist, champion Sebastian Fundora‘s sister Gabriela Fundora became the flyweight division’s new undisputed title holder.

Names of legends Katie Taylor, Chantelle Cameron, and Amanda Serrano don’t seem to have caused any surprises. But concerns over the absence of Claressa Shields’ longtime rival Savannah Marshall did emerge.

A slanted representation?

Let’s see what some of the users had to say about the Ring Magazine list.

For this fan, it was a well-deserved honor for Claressa Shields: “Earned💪🏿.” The next one echoed similar thoughts. According to them, until she stops competing, Shield’s achievements are so remarkable that she has essentially cemented her status as one of the sport’s greatest.

Nevertheless, they didn’t hesitate to express their doubts over who should hold the top spots in the rankings. This is what they said: “Yes, the Gwoat has #1 with assumed victories locked up until she retires. The other nine slots are where the speculation lies. Gwoat Enjoy 8th wonder immortality and still adding to it. Greatness in our time.”

And that’s where a debate ensued. One of the followers felt that the rankings were not up to the mark: “Bad bad rankings, tbf.” But the tweet owner countered that it was objective and unbiased: “I think the ratings are fair.” In response, a critic checked for the absence of boxers such as Lauren Price, Savannah Marshall and the presence of Alycia Baumgardner, whose name came up in a substance controversy. The tweet author then explained that while Marshall had been largely absent from the ring, Price could still make it onto the list.

Another user then inquired about the IBF lightweight champion from Brazil, Beatriz ‘The Beast’ Ferreira, “Where is Beast Ferreira?” As they did earlier, the post owner responded back with a few details. Another follower suggested including the WBA and the Ring Welterweight champion, Lauren Price: “@LLPrice94 should be in there.” There was a strong recommendation for Skye Nicolson as well: “@skyebnic will be on this list shortly.”

As has happened in the past, rankings like these often spark furious debates among fans, especially when certain figures are left off the list for one reason or another.

Thankfully, Claressa Shields’ name didn’t invite any contention. And why should it? Given her achievements, her place is rightfully earned. She remains one of those rare athletes who influence spans beyond her domain and into other disciplines.

Were you able to review the Ring’s pound-for-pound list? What are your thoughts on it? Does that sound good for you?