By day, Shurretta Metcalf juggles the chaos of raising two boys and running her businesses. But when the gloves go on, she becomes a world champion.
Photography by Ethan Good
Metcalf is a proud Oak Cliff native who recently won a world boxing title as the International Boxing Federation Bantamweight World Champion, and whose life is a balance of being a professional boxer, a mom and a business owner.
She owns a boutique and a salon called the Headquarters Deluxe studios across from Red Bird Mall.
“Since I’m from Oak Cliff, I like to be in the area where I’m from, and I like to just give back to the area where I’m from,” Metcalf says. “I do community service, I go to meetings and go to the schools when they have events.”
While she is a proud business owner, her two boys are her biggest pride and joy. She started underground boxing in 2012 as another way to make ends meet and support her family.
“It was just another way to make some money to take care of my kids,” Metcalf says. “Because my oldest son, he’s autistic. So I couldn’t really have a lot of jobs where I could be away from him as much.”
In 2014, she began boxing as an amateur and went number five in the country as an amateur boxer. She turned pro in 2016, and in October 2024, Metcalf took the world stage, winning her new title, International Boxing Federation Bantamweight World Champion.
She was fighting in the 122 weight class but moved down to 118 where she defeated former world champion Melissa Oddessa. She then went on to fight Miyo Yoshida for the first time in November 2023. That win led her to be ranked and allowed her to go for the world title.
She ended up having to wait a year to fight Yoshida for the world title, but in a fight at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Metcalf won in a unanimous decision.
Just five days after winning the belt, Metcalf turned 40 years old.
“It’s so surreal for me because I manifested this,” Metcalf says. “I kept saying, ‘I’m going to be a world champion,’ and I just kept working. I never let nobody tell me that I was too old, because in boxing, they’ll tell you you’re too old. Then where I’m from being a Black female, it’s going to be two or three times even harder. But I didn’t let that stop me. I just kept training.”
Metcalf says the city has been very supportive of her throughout her journey to becoming a champion.
“I beat those top girls, I just have to keep beating them,” Metcalf says. “I’m very happy I have the city just cheering me on and letting me know, like, ‘Hey, don’t stop. You’re giving a lot of people hope here.’ And that’s why I’m here.”
She recently signed with Jake Paul’s MVP and is set to be the undercard fight for an all-women boxing card at Madison Square Garden. The all-women boxing card is on July 11 and can be seen on Netflix.
Jake Paul’s MVP (Most Valuable Promotions) is a boxing promotion company co-founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. MVP aims to create a global boxing platform focused on digital storytelling and live events, prioritizing the interests of the fighters. They have signed a number of notable boxers, including Holly Holm and Amanda Serrano.
“This is the icing on the cake,” Metcalf says. “I’m just super excited about this fight. I’ve been in training camp now for this fight, and I’m going to get some more belts.”
Recently, the historic title bout for Metcalf had a curveball thrown its way five weeks ahead of the fight.
In a switch of opponents, Metcalf, the reigning IBF Bantamweight World Champion, will now face Most Valuable Promotions’ newest signee and WBA Bantamweight World Champion Cherneka Johnson for the undisputed bantamweight title.
Metcalf also finds ways to give back to her community. She rents out her salon to people who can’t afford long-term booth rentals. She also trains other boxers and is an advocate for domestic violence survivors and autism awareness.
One of the most important aspects of her journey is being an inspiration to her sons.
“I’m a single mom, so I wanted my kids to always have a role model that’s close to them, letting them know we do have obstacles,” Metcalf says. “My son with autism, he’s going to have some obstacles. … So I just try to show my kids like, ‘Hey I love you guys. No matter what, I do this for you guys.’ I say your mom gets punched in the face to take care of you. Them being in my life is the reason I am who I am today.”
