Claressa Shields is a three-division world champion boxer and also a hopeless romantic. The athlete just marked her one-year anniversary with rapper Papoose and dedicated a thoughtful post to him on Instagram.
“Happy 1 year anniversary @papoose! 365 days of love with my favorite person,” Shields wrote on Instagram, accompanied by heart-eyed emojis.“You’ve been my rock, guiding me through the ups and downs. Thanks for being my partner in crime, for the laughter, advice, and endless love. You’re one of a kind! Cheers to many more!”
Papoose returned the love and also sent anniversary love to his Olympic gold medalist boo on his Instagram page.
“They say time flies when you’re having fun. Can’t believe it’s been 1 full year already. Happy 1 year anniversary to my diamond,” the caption read alongside a picture of them glammed up at the recent 2025 VMAs.
Fans have been captivated by the couple’s relationship, especially given his marriage to estranged wife Remy Ma, who has also moved on romantically. Some fans are critical of this burgeoning connection, but Shields is unbothered.
During an interview with The Breakfast Club in May, the boxing champ said they met at the Shakur Stevenson fight in July of 2024.
“I just remember like Pap, he walked up to me and he shook my hand, which I was like, ‘Who the f–k shake hands?'” the two-time Olympian recalled. Shields invited Papoose to a fight in Detroit, which he attended, and shortly after, they were planning their first date in New York.
“When we talked in person, that’s when I was like, Dang, I kind of like this dude. And he just was like so kind, so nice,” Shields said during the interview in May, adding that she prefers a “good guy.”
Shields also addressed the controversy around their relationship and his marital status during that interview. The rapper and boxer have had social media back-and-forths with Remy on several occasions due to the situation.
“That takes time and like I said that’s not my place to speak on it,” she said of Papoose and Remy’s split. “It’ll get handled. I just know that from my perspective, I’m with him every day, and when I’m not with him, we’re on the phone every day and we’re talking and we’re FaceTiming. We love each other.”
Remy and Papoose met in 2004 in NYC while collaborating on a song, but their professional relationship morphed into a romantic one over time. As the relationship progressed, in 2008, Papoose did something that isn’t common–he held the rapper down while she served a six-year prison sentence for assault with a weapon.
During Remy’s time in prison, they tied the knot over the phone. In 2016, a couple of years after the “All the Way Up” rapper’s release, they renewed their vows and then went on to become parents to Reminisce Mackenzie in 2018.
Their relationship began to unravel in 2022 when rumors of Remy having an affair with battle rapper Eazy The Block Captain began circulating online. By the end of 2024, she took to social media to accuse Papoose of also stepping out on their marriage, with Shields. Shortly after, the boxer and Papoose made their courtship public.
He eventually filed for divorce in May 2025 after having a public dispute with his soon-to-be ex-wife about who was holding up the official marriage dissolution and more. Since then, he and Shields have seemingly been on smooth sailing, making their first red carpet appearance at the previously mentioned VMAs in September 2025.
Happy anniversary to these two, and hopefully, everyone can move forward and continue their new chapters peacefully.