Claressa Shields Calls Zeus Auditions “So Crazy” As “GWOATS” Takes Shape

Claressa Shields says the women who showed up for her new Zeus series made the project personal, as “GWOATS” moved from a public pitch to live auditions in Michigan.

The boxer shared her reaction Monday, a day after the network’s casting call for “GWOATS: Fight For Your Life.” She praised the women who came out and said she saw herself in them.

“Those women really wanted it! The fights, the stories, the pain! I seen so much of myself in those girls!” Shields wrote on X.

Zeus had set the auditions for Sunday at Studio Center in Farmington Hills, outside Detroit. Its notice asked women to show their boxing skills, giving Shields a chance to meet hopefuls for the show she had shared with fans.

That step builds on a working link between Shields and the network.

In August, Zeus carried celebrity bouts on the same Atlanta card that she headlined against Kaye Scott. Ray J beat Orlando Brown, while Big Lex faced Tesehki. The card put Zeus personalities and music stars on a bill with women’s title boxing.

“GWOATS” gives Shields a new role in that mix. Rather than only headlining a fight, she plans to put women through a series of tests and share the work behind her own success.

She said the last two women would fight for a $25,000 prize. The winner could then choose whether to face Shields, with $100,000 on the line to beat the champ.

She pitched it to women who thought her job was easy. After meeting the hopefuls, she thanked Zeus for backing her vision and producing the auditions.

In a second post, she said the project was what the women needed and added, “I’m humbled!!!”