Flint boxer Claressa Shields stripped of Ring Magazine belt

It's been reported that Flint boxer Claressa Shields has been stripped of her 154-pound (light middleweight) Ring Magazine belt.

And if you've just learned that information for the first time, then you found out in the same way she did: By reading about it online.

Ring Magazine posted an article Thursday that said Shields, the fastest double- and triple-division champion in boxing history, "has not fought at 154 pounds for over 18 months and has no apparent plans to return to the weight any time soon. Therefore, she was stripped from her Ring belt, just in time for the winner of the recently announced fight between current No. 1 Marie Eve Dicaire and No. 2 Natasha Jonas to be eventually crowned as the new champ."

Just one problem: Nobody told Shields. Shields quote-tweeted the Ring Magazine post — which tagged her — about vacating her belt, and responded, "I DIDN'T VACATE NOTHING! What the hell y'all talking about?"

Shields' manager and former HBO Boxing executive Mark Taffet told The Detroit News Thursday evening that neither he nor Shields was made aware that she would have her belt stripped. Taffet said he is seeking further clarity from Ring.

Shields, 27, is scheduled to fight Savannah Marshall in London on Oct. 15 at BOXXER: LEGACY - Shields vs. Marshall for the undisputed middleweight (160 pounds) championship. She last fought at 154 pounds and defended her Ring belt in that class in a unanimous decision victory over Dicaire in March 2021.

Since Shields last fought at 154 pounds, she has since ventured into the world of mixed martial arts. She is 1-1 in her MMA career with the Professional Fighters League and has previously said that she plans to fight in MMA again at the PFL Finals in November.