Muhammad Ali’s ex-wife, Khalilah Ali, is still harboring grudges against Ali’s third wife after more than four decades since she divorced him. Ali had cheated on Khalilah with Veronica Porsche Ali, which led to their divorce in 1977, an incident Khalilah seems not to have let go of. She recently attended one of Claressa Shield’s events and urged the female boxing champion to fight and beat Porsche and Ali’s daughter, Laila Ali, as payback.
Muhammad Ali’s Ex-Wife Supports Claressa Shields Against Laila Ali
Muhammad Ali’s ex-wife is the definition of never letting go. The 74-year-old actress was at Claressa Shields’ fight against Danielle Perkins for the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world when she revealed she still harbored a grudge against Laila Ali’s mom, Veronica Porsche Ali, and wanted Shields to beat Laila as retribution. Khalilah met with Shields’ representative, and after introducing herself, she said:
“I wanna back [Shields’] up. Kick Laila’s a**. That’s why I come to see her.”
After the rep told Khalilah Shields’ was on her way, the latter asked to see the boxer before she left.
“I’ll take her to Dubai to kick Laila’s ass. She my hero,” she told the rep.
After Shield’s rep decided to record, Khalilah revealed it was because Laila’s mom got with her ex-husband.
“It’s payback time. Yeah, I want everybody to know it,” she added.
However, Muhammad Ali’s ex-wife clarified that she doesn’t hate Laila and revealed that she talks to the female champion.
“But she’s going down,” Khalilah stated.
Laila Ali and Claressa Shields’ Have a Longtime Feud
Muhammad Ali’s ex-wife also told Shield’s rep that she knew Laila would come out of retirement to fight Shields if there was enough money to motivate her.
“[Laila] is 40 years old now, and once we put money on the table, she’ll come out of the woodwork,” Khalilah said, citing Mike Tyson’s last fight as an example. “I know she been talking smack about Claressa. Laila has,” she concluded.
Muhammad Ali’s ex-wife’s statement referenced the longstanding beef between Laila Ali and Claressa Shields. They have been at loggerheads since 2012, when Shields contacted Laila for mentorship.
Shields has also questioned Laila’s achievements. Laila acknowledged Shields’ confidence but asked her not to burn bridges or question her legacy. However, Shields took offense and posted a video online, claiming that Laila was “jealous” of her success and that she had surpassed Ali’s daughter’s achievements as a boxer.
“This is my era now, and she’s never supported me in my era,” Shields said.
Laila Ali Willing to Fight Claressa Shields
Claressa Shields later asked Laila for a fight to set things straight. During a 2020 interview with ESPN’s First Take at the MGM Grand, the latter responded that she would come out of retirement to fight Shields if she got enough motivation.
“[Shields’] been calling me out. She’s taken offense to some things I’ve said in the past that had nothing to do with her,” Laila said and added, “And people are asking me: Would you come back? Well, I have to be inspired by the opponent.”
She added:
“I have to be inspired by the purse because I have multiple things going on, multiple streams of income. I don’t need to do it. I have to want to do it. Of course, especially (because of) that mouth. When it’s personal, that starts a fire, right? And when the money’s right and it makes sense, then why not?”
Meanwhile, Mark Taffet, Shields’ manager, told ESPN that he talked to Laila’s team about a possible boxing event between the two women. Laila retired from boxing in 2007 when Shields was 12.
#Clique, do you think Claressa Shields and Laila Ali will ever get in the ring? Let us know in the comments.