Claressa Shields is asking for brand deals and sponsors to add patches to her fight gear ahead of her boxing match this August and that has a lot of people talking. Welcome back to the channel Shadery. It's your boy Marcus Hale and thanks for stopping by. Today we're talking about Love Island USA season 8 and Claressa Shields. If you've spent any time online, you've probably seen people throwing around nicknames like Pap's mistress, Pap's entanglement, [music] Pap's pick me or Pap's side chick. Even Cris Cyborg jumped into the conversation saying it is duck hunting season. The online drama just keeps getting louder. I really can't believe what I'm saying. This is the same Claressa Shields who regularly tells the internet she's bigger than the sport, says she's the face of women's boxing and argues that she's the best, the GWOAT as she calls herself. That's the image she's been putting out there and she's never been shy about saying it. The way many critics see it, everyone else is expected to fall in line and give her credit. Then whenever another boxer like Amanda Serrano, Alicia Baumgardner or someone else starts making headlines, people accuse Claressa of focusing on what they did instead of celebrating their success. They'll point to comments like, "Oh, they didn't have as many seeds as I had." and other comparisons that keep the debate going instead of letting the spotlight stay on someone else's achievement. But when you really look at the situation, who seems to be getting the biggest opportunities? Who has the strongest representation? Who is getting the best public relations push? From where I'm sitting, it doesn't look like that person is Claressa Shields. The first thing we have to talk about is Salita Promotions. It looks like they suddenly remembered Claressa Shields is nominated for an ESPY award. Around 11 hours before I recorded this video, Salita Promotions posted on Instagram, "The goat is officially an ESPY nominee once again." along with a crown and championship trophy. The post continued, "After making history in 2023, becoming the first female boxer to win best boxer, Claressa Shields is nominated again. Vote now. Link in bio." That's what they shared, but to me the timing feels strange. It almost comes across like a last-minute reminder instead of the kind of major promotion you'd expect for one of your biggest athletes. The ESPYs are tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. and I'll pin the voting link in the comments again if voting is still open. There've been plenty of online conversations about who might win. Some people believe it's between Claressa Shields and Terence Crawford, although I haven't seen anything confirming where the race stands or who is actually leading. At this point, it's all speculation until the results are announced. That's exactly the point I'm making. >> [music] >> If Claressa Shields is supposed to be one of the top names at Salita Promotions, many fans would expect a much bigger promotional campaign instead of what feels like a late push right before the award show. That's why some people are questioning whether she's getting the level of support that matches her accomplishments. This is exactly why some people say things would have played out very differently with MVP Promotions. The moment ESPY voting opened, many believed they would have started pushing it everywhere. Every single day you would have seen posts saying, "Don't forget to vote for our fighter Claressa Shields." They likely would have kept reminding fans from the start all the way until voting closed. People imagine those reminders would have been all over Instagram stories, X, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, and every major platform. The goal would have been simple. Make sure supporters, followers, and anyone connected to the promotion knew they could vote every single day. That's the kind of nonstop promotion many fans expect from a company representing one of its biggest athletes. [music] Instead, critics argue that too many distractions have taken over the conversation. They point to her personal life, public [music] disagreements, family issues, and back-and-forth exchanges on social media saying those topics keep pulling attention away from moments that could be focused on her career. Whether people agree or disagree with that view, it's become part of the discussion surrounding her. Meanwhile, Claressa shared a few reminders on Facebook and X encouraging people to vote, but many fans noticed Salita Promotions didn't make a post until the day before the ESPYs. That's why some people are calling it a major miss [music] and saying it feels disappointing for a fighter with her resume. Their argument is that she doesn't seem to be receiving the level of promotional attention they expected. For those critics, there really isn't much of an excuse. If your own promotional company waits until the final stretch before the award show to encourage fans [music] to vote for best fighter, they're going to question how much of a priority you truly are. That's the criticism being made and it's one that [music] has sparked plenty of conversation online. That's what critics are saying she has become accustomed to. In their [music] view, if this had been MVP Promotions handling things, there would have been no chance they waited until the day before the ESPY's to encourage fans to vote for Claressa Shields. They believe the campaign would have started much earlier and stayed active from beginning to end. Now, let's get into something else that's getting people talking. Claressa Shields recently made a public call for [music] sponsorships ahead of her upcoming fight and it definitely caught attention online. She posted on Instagram, "A limited number of premium sponsorship opportunities are available for my fight week for businesses ready to put their brand on one of the biggest [music] stages in boxing in Atlanta on August 15th." She went on to explain that sponsors could have their brand seen by more than 18,000 fans at State Farm Arena along with millions of viewers watching on DAZN and Zeus Network. She also listed benefits including fight night kit patch placement, fight week events and brand activations, training and workout apparel branding, VIP hospitality, exclusive meet and greet access, social media promotion, and customized brand integration opportunities. >> [music] >> Her post continued, "This is an opportunity to align with the premier sporting event at a global scale for one of the biggest events of the summer. DM me or email my PR person for the sponsorship deck. #ClaressaShields, #ShieldsScott." She also added another message in the comments, [music] "Tag a brand I should work with." That comment quickly got people involved. One response from Khadijah suggested Fiji water and Wind Records. Since then, plenty of fans have been sharing their own ideas about which companies [music] they think would be a good fit for Claressa ahead of her August fight. Some people also tagged brands like Fenty Beauty, Nike, Adidas, and Cash App. At that point, I had to laugh because the suggestions just kept coming. But, here's the question people are asking, which major brand is actually ready to put its logo on your fight gear and connect its reputation with you? From the critics' point of view, the list of realistic partners is much smaller than fans might hope. That's why some people joke that the patches will end up being from the same familiar names already connected to the event. Whether that's fair or not, it's become part of the conversation surrounding these sponsorship requests. This also brings up something people have discussed for a long time about Laila Ali. Some believe Claressa missed an opportunity to learn from someone who had already figured out how to build a lasting brand. The focus reportedly shifted to disagreements over comments about fitness [music] and conditioning. And after that, the relationship seemed to head in a different direction. Critics argue that the bigger lesson got lost along the way. To many fans, Laila Ali became the blueprint because she understood that success isn't only about winning fights. It's also about image, partnerships, professionalism, [music] and building trust with companies that may want to invest in you. Those qualities can make a huge difference when major sponsorship opportunities are on the table. That's why people keep asking the same question. Brands don't just look at championships, they also think about public image and whether an athlete is the right fit for their campaigns. Companies want ambassadors they feel comfortable featuring in commercials, advertisements, and social media promotions without worrying about unnecessary controversy. Critics argue that Claressa's public disputes and highly discussed personal life may make that decision more complicated, which is why some question how many major brands will ultimately sign on. People keep asking the same question. What major brand wants to step into the middle of all this? That's why some critics joke that she should just stick with the partners already connected to her events and move on. Whether you agree with that opinion or not, it's a conversation that continues to follow her. At the same time, Claressa has often spoken confidently about the opportunities available to her and the value she brings to the sport. That leads some people to ask where those major endorsement deals are and why more of them haven't become public. It's a question that keeps coming up whenever sponsorships become part of the discussion. Critics also argue that several public moments have made things more difficult. They point to her weigh-in confrontation with Franchon Crews before their February fight, as well as her exchange involving Alicia Baumgardner at an MVP-related event a few months later. In their view, those incidents created negative headlines at times when the focus could have stayed on boxing instead. They also point out that online campaigns and petitions criticizing Claressa have appeared over time. While those efforts don't determine official decisions, they do show that some fans have become frustrated with the ongoing controversies. >> [music] >> According to those critics, the repeated debates have affected how some people view her public image. Some observers even believe there was a period when Claressa seemed to pull back from the online drama for a while. However, they argue that the same patterns eventually returned, bringing more attention to the controversies than to her accomplishments in the ring. Their overall point is that in today's sports world, strong sponsorships depend not only on talent, but also [music] on maintaining an image that companies are comfortable supporting. That's why they believe securing major brand partnerships [music] may be more challenging than many people expected. Some critics see this as a sign that something [music] isn't clicking. They point to the fight announcement press conference and argue that the crowd seemed [music] quiet, with the host even encouraging the audience to applaud. In their view, that wasn't the kind of energy you'd expect for a fighter with such a high profile, and they say it left an awkward impression. >> [music] >> Those same critics ask another question. If companies are already aware of the online controversies surrounding Claressa, [music] and the event itself is sharing the spotlight with other entertainment and boxing attractions, why would brands rush to line up with sponsorship patches? That's the argument they're making, whether people agree with it or not. Another point they [music] keep raising is about her team. They wonder why Claressa is personally making public appeals for [music] sponsors instead of having her management and public relations team leading that effort behind the scenes. In their opinion, that's exactly [music] what a promotional team is supposed to handle. They also argue that's one reason she stays so active on social media to keep herself in the public conversation and maintain visibility. Then there's the issue of Salita Promotions. >> [music] >> Critics continue to question why the company waited until the day before the ESPYs to highlight her nomination instead of promoting it throughout the voting period. To them, that late push didn't send the message that she was a top priority. Now, with the sponsorship request appearing just weeks before [music] the fight, some are wondering whether many major partnerships have already been secured. The broader criticism is that if an athlete truly has the level of demand and market power that's often discussed, many of these opportunities would be expected to come together more naturally. Those critics believe the repeated controversies have affected Claressa's public image and some [music] professional relationships, making it harder to attract certain sponsorships than it might have been otherwise. Whether that's a fair assessment is up for debate, but it's a viewpoint that continues to circulate online. Some critics even wonder what happens behind the scenes when sponsorship opportunities come up. They speculate that competing promoters or people within the industry could point potential sponsors toward past public controversies involving Claressa. Whether that actually happens isn't something that's been confirmed, but it's a possibility some commentators have discussed [music] when talking about how competitive the business can be. Those same critics argue that public image matters just as much as performance in the ring. Their view is that companies pay close [music] attention to how athletes present themselves because any controversy can become part of the conversation when sponsorship decisions are being [music] made. They believe that's especially true when brands are investing significant money and want ambassadors who align with the image they're trying to promote. Another criticism making the rounds is that there [music] haven't been many major brands, promotional companies, or public relations firms publicly stepping in to elevate Claressa into an even [music] bigger mainstream spotlight. Some people point to her latest event and argue that [music] bringing Zeus Network into the mix shows how challenging it can be to build momentum without stronger commercial partnerships. That's their interpretation of the current situation, even though others may see it differently. >> [music] >> At the end of the day, this entire debate comes back to one question. Is the biggest challenge inside the ring or is it everything happening outside of it? Fans continue to argue both sides and it'll be interesting to see whether Claressa can change the narrative with her performance and future business [music] moves. Thanks for watching. If you enjoyed this video, make sure to like, subscribe, and share it with someone who follows boxing. [music] Drop your thoughts in the comments below. I want to know what you think about Claressa's sponsorship search and everything surrounding this upcoming fight. As always, this is Shiderry. I'm Marcus Hale and I'll catch you in the next one. Stay safe.