The celebrated boxing champion received a positive test result for cannabis following her heavyweight match against Danielle Perkins in Michigan on 3 February. Though initially suspended, she successfully defended her case, leading to the suspension’s removal, though monetary penalties remain possible.
The Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission, which had initially suspended Shields licence, announced on Saturday that she had “submitted evidence” on March 6 and that “her behaviour no longer presents an immediate risk to the sport’s integrity, public interest or the wellbeing and safety of any competitor”.
During that contest, Shields claimed all four major heavyweight belts. Her saliva sample showed traces of marijuana, which violates World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) competition rules, resulting in her provisional fighting ban in her state.
While not entirely comparable, American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was excluded from the Tokyo 2021 Olympics after receiving a one-month suspension for cannabis use. In Shields’ defence, she maintained her innocence, stating the detected amounts were merely “residual”.
It has not been fully confirmed, but reports suggest that Shields cited possible close contact with someone who had used the substance, as she had tested negative in voluntary pre-fight tests.
Regardless, Shields has expressed her frustration: “I am officially no longer suspended. Where’s the noise now? They were so loud saying I ‘allegedly’ smoked marijuana and got suspended,” she posted on social media.
Her future remains uncertain as she has also hinted at the possibility of leaving the United States, “After what I’ve been through, I’m thinking about leaving the country, starting a boxing programme in Africa and opening a school for underprivileged kids. The truth is, I don’t like the nonsense that goes on in the U.S. There’s too much racism, sexism, and although everyone shouts ‘equality’, there is none. I’ve worked incredibly hard to get where I am, yet there are still people who work tirelessly to dim my light.”
