She’s one of the greatest women boxers of all time!
A new film about 2x Olympic Boxing Gold Medalist Claressa Shields is set to release this Christmas. Written by Oscar-winning producer Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and starring singer Ryan Destiny (grown-ish) and Academy Award nominee Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta), the film tells the inspiring life story of Shields, a girl from Flint, Michigan, who rose through the ranks to make boxing history!
Shields began boxing when she was just 11 years old, making a name for herself as an amateur boxer and eventually taking home consecutive medals at the Olympics. Today, she is a 15x World Champion and 3X undisputed champion and was named ESPY Boxer of the Year in 2023. The film about her life, “The Fire Inside,” is directed by Oscar nominee Rachel Morrison (Fruitvale Station) and highlights Shields’ meteoric rise to the top.
“The Fire Inside is the inspirational true story of Claressa Shields, arguably the greatest female boxer of all time. Claressa, a high school junior from Flint, Michigan, aided by her tough-love coach, Jason Crutchfield, pushes past all limitations to become the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. But even at the pinnacle of success, Claressa has to reckon with the fact that not all dreams are created equal, and the real fight has only just begun,” a statement about the new movie reads.
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and received rave reviews. Check out the trailer for “The Fire Inside” below.
Cover photo: New Film About Boxer Claressa Shields Starring Ryan Destiny & Brian Tyree Henry to Release This Christmas/(l to r) Brian Tyree Henry, Claressa Shields & Ryan Destiny/Photo credit: @ClaressaShields/Instagram