When Adversity Frames History: My Journey to Capture Boxing's Transformative Moment

By Terrell Groggins

I found myself at Detroit's Masonic Temple in 2018, in a position I'd been in countless times before - camera in hand, ready to document another chapter in Claressa Shields' remarkable career. For eight years, I'd been chronicling her journey from Olympic champion to professional powerhouse, but this night would prove different from all others.

The story behind what would become one of boxing's most iconic photographs began 24 hours earlier. While conducting an interview at the venue, I experienced what so many Black professionals in journalism unfortunately know too well. A staff photographer, having lost her equipment, immediately directed security to search my bag. The assumption was clear, and it was based on nothing but the color of my skin.

That moment of racial profiling led me to make a decision that would unknowingly create history. The next night, I positioned myself on the opposite side of the ring from that staff photographer, near the judges - a choice born from discomfort that would prove providential.

Having documented Shields' career for over eight years, I'd witnessed her evolution from a teenage Olympic phenomenon to a professional champion. I'd captured her two Olympic gold medals - achievements that made her the first American fighter to secure back-to-back golds. But nothing prepared me for what I was about to witness in her sixth professional fight against Hanna Gabriels.

When Shields hit the canvas in the first round - something I'd never seen in all my years of covering her - I knew this night was different. Through my lens, I watched her rise, determination etched across her face. That's when I captured the shot that would reshape how we view women's boxing, a photograph that The Guardian would later name one of the images that transformed sport.

The parallels weren't lost on me. Here was Shields, fighting back from her first knockdown, while I was fighting my own battle against prejudice in photojournalism. Both of us, in our own ways, rising above circumstances meant to hold us down.

The image has since garnered recognition that validates its impact - the World Press Photo Award, Istanbul Photo Award, and the Smithsonian Museum Magazine's "The American Experience Award." But its true value lies in what it represents: a moment where multiple narratives of resilience converged in a single frame.

As a one-of-one print, its significance extends beyond the accolades. It captures not just athletic excellence, but speaks to larger truths about perseverance, about breaking barriers, about excellence prevailing against odds. When I look at it now, I see more than just a comeback moment in boxing - I see a testament to how adversity, when met with determination, can create something transformative.

Through eight years of covering Shields, I've witnessed her break nearly every barrier placed before her. But this photograph, born from the intersection of her struggle and mine, tells a story larger than both of us. It reminds us that sometimes the most powerful images emerge not despite obstacles, but because of them.

My hope is that this photograph continues to tell our stories - not just of struggle, but of triumph. In one frame, it captures what I've spent years documenting: the power of resilience, the beauty of excellence, and the importance of perspective - both behind the lens and in life.