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The 42-year-old Sydneysider will walk into Atlanta\u2019s State Farm Arena as a unified world champion and attempt to pull off one of the biggest upsets in Aussie boxing history against the woman regarded by many as the greatest female fighter of all time.<\/p>\n
Claressa Shields. The G.W.O.A.T.<\/p>\n
Two-time Olympic champion. Undefeated professional. Undisputed champion in three divisions. Current undisputed heavyweight queen.<\/p>\n
And, importantly, the challenger this weekend.<\/p>\n
Because while almost everything surrounding this fight has centred on Shields and another potentially historic achievement, it is Scott who has the WBC and WBA middleweight belts the American superstar has travelled back down the divisions to collect.<\/p>\n
And after years spent fighting largely outside the spotlight, Scott has no intention of simply handing them over.<\/p>\n
\u201cClaressa needs to come and get my belts,\u201d Scott said.<\/p>\n
Aussie world boxing champion Kaye ScottSource: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
The Australian enters with a pro record of just 5-1-1 and is an enormous underdog against Shields, who has spent her career collecting world titles.<\/p>\n
Just how enormous? Sportsbet has Scott at $15 to pull off the upset, with Shields a $1.04 favourite. <\/p>\n
At Friday\u2019s press conference, Shields made no secret of what she intends to do.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really nothing against you,\u201d said Shields.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just have to perform at a very high level to destroy you\u2026 I am not gonna predict the round, but I know there\u2019s going to be a moment in the ring where she\u2019s gonna say, \u2018I am not supposed to be here.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n
Not exactly a good-luck message for the Aussie.<\/p>\n
When Fox Sports Australia<\/a> spoke with the Aussie<\/a> shortly after the blockbuster was announced, Scott acknowledged the American\u2019s extraordinary resume.<\/p>\n She just refused to accept that it made her unbeatable.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you look at her accolades as a professional, and as an amateur, you can\u2019t deny she is a fantastic fighter,\u201d Scott told Fox Sports Australia.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I don\u2019t look at her like Usain Bolt in the sense that I would never be able to run that fast.<\/p>\n \u201cI look at her as a really big challenge who, if I can bring the A-plus version of myself, I feel like I could go toe to toe against and keep my belts.\u201d<\/p>\n It is difficult to overstate exactly how big an opportunity this is for Scott.<\/p>\n Women were still banned from competing in boxing bouts in NSW when she first became interested in the sport, with that prohibition only lifted in 2009.<\/p>\n Scott went on to build an outstanding amateur career, representing Australia at three Commonwealth Games and winning silver at the 2016 world championships.<\/p>\n Scott eventually turned pro late and has fought only seven times in the paid ranks.<\/p>\n Now comes the type of night she could scarcely have imagined when she first started boxing at her local gym to stay in shape.<\/p>\n Scott and Shields will headline State Farm Arena in Atlanta, becoming the first women to headline a boxing event at the famous venue.<\/p>\n And standing across from Scott will be a fighter who is already among the most accomplished boxers of the modern era, male or female.<\/p>\n American boxing icon Claressa ShieldsSource: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n Shields is 18-0 as a professional, won Olympic gold medals at London 2012 and Rio 2016 and became the first boxer in the four-belt era to reign undisputed in three different weight divisions.<\/p>\n She rules the heavyweight division but has dropped back to middleweight specifically to chase Scott\u2019s titles and begin another run at 160lb.<\/p>\n Scott, meanwhile, is a natural middleweight and has been able to concentrate on preparing for the biggest fight of her life without worrying about a big cut.<\/p>\n Whether that proves a huge deal remains to be seen.<\/p>\n \u201cAll I can do is control the controllables. My sparring\u2019s been on point, my conditioning\u2019s been on point, my diet\u2019s been on point, and my mindset\u2019s on point. So this opportunity has arisen, and I\u2019m just taking it with full force,\u201d said Scott.<\/p>\n \u201cShe wouldn\u2019t want to be against an opponent who doesn\u2019t believe that she can do it, and I think I can create history and go out there and bring everything and make it a really challenging fight and bring those belts back home to Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n The pair shared approximately six rounds of sparring almost a decade ago, an experience Scott says helped remove some of the mystique surrounding one of boxing\u2019s most intimidating fighters.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s someone you look up to and go, \u2018Wow, I\u2019d love to be able to achieve that\u2019, but she\u2019s not someone I put on a pedestal,\u201d Scott told Fox Sports Australia.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s just a normal person who is a very good athlete.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd everyone can be beaten, including her.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m ready to shock the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Claressa Shields and Kaye ScottSource: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n Scott remembers being competitive throughout that sparring session and it has reinforced her belief that she belongs in the ring with Shields.<\/p>\n That belief has remained unwavering throughout fight week.<\/p>\n There have been questions about Scott\u2019s age, questions about her record and, when the fight was first announced, even questions from overseas fans about who exactly the Aussie champ was.<\/p>\n Some even dubbed her a \u201cgrandma\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t care that much about what they think,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe old me would care, but I actually laugh at it now.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen people online saying, \u2018Who is this grandma?\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cIt just makes me chuckle.\u201d<\/p>\n Scott said on Friday that Shields may be underestimating her, but GWOAT says it\u2019s the other way around.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not underestimating you at all,\u201d said Shields. <\/p>\n \u201cI think you\u2019re underestimating me, thinking that I haven\u2019t been in the gym, training three or four times a day. Usually, I\u2019ll do a six-week camp. <\/p>\n \u201cI did 12 weeks for you and not because of the weight. I made weight last week\u2026 I know you were in the amateurs. <\/p>\n \u201cI know you are more experienced and that the majority (of high-level amateurs) make better boxers in the pros, so, I don\u2019t take your record of being 5-1-1 as a joke. <\/p>\n \u201cI sparred so many rounds, and we watched so much film. I didn\u2019t underestimate you.\u201d<\/p>\n MORE BOXING:<\/p>\n \u2018Hardest ever\u2019: KO\u2019d rival\u2019s huge call on Aussie as Hearn\u2019s plan revealed… and even AJ is taking notice<\/a><\/p>\n