Latvian heavyweight disputes Shields’ allegation that gloves used during their 2018 sparring session had no padding
Arturs Ahmetovs says the punch that dropped Claressa Shields during a 2018 sparring session came from a clean combination. The Latvian heavyweight rejects Shields’ claim that the gloves used that day had no padding.
Shields recently revisited the incident while appearing on the Nightcap podcast with Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. During a discussion about whether she could beat WBA welterweight beltholder Rolando “Rolly” Romero, Shields referenced the sparring session and repeated her claim that the gloves used by Ahmetovs had no padding.
“That guy is a cheat. He didn’t have no padding in his gloves,” Shields said. “And if it’s not true, why him and his coach haven’t sued me yet? That dude, I had whooped him the week before and he was mad and he didn’t like it.”
Shields said the gloves came through Ahmetovs’ trainer, Derik Santos, and described them as worn equipment that lacked protection.
“His coach gave him some worn gloves he said he got from Roberto Duran as a gift,” Shields said. “The gloves had zero padding in them and he caught me with that hook.”
Santos addressed the claim back in 2023 during an appearance on ProBox TV, stating he had never met Roberto Duran and the gloves used in the session were normal 16-ounce sparring gloves.
Ahmetovs has now repeated that explanation while speaking with Vince DWriter, maintaining the knockdown came during a heated exchange after the session intensified.
“I didn’t want to go that hard, but the combinations I’ve trained for kicked in on reflex,” Ahmetovs said. “She came out aggressive, and it came out a bit harsher than I intended.”
Ahmetovs said the two sparred on two occasions. The first was controlled work, while the second session picked up pace when the exchanges became sharper.
“On the video you can see they were normal gloves,” Ahmetovs said.
The Latvian fighter later turned professional in March 2019, stopping Demetrius Wilson in the second round. He built a five-fight run before suffering a second-round stoppage defeat to Rolando Romero in his sixth professional bout.
Visa issues eventually stalled his career, preventing him from staying active despite attempts to line up fights. Ahmetovs says he would consider a comeback if the right team and financial backing came together.
For now, he maintains the explanation is straightforward. The knockdown during that 2018 sparring session came from a clean punch that landed at the right moment.
When asked why he never pursued legal action over the allegations, Ahmetovs offered a blunt answer.
“In my country it’s not common to sue somebody for talking.”
