The Ring, WBO, and IBF super middleweight champion has been linked to Shields for the last few years. But a fight with the two-time Olympic gold medalist only becomes possible if Green takes care of business on Friday, when she faces Lani Daniels on the Alycia Baumgardner-Bo Mi Re Shin card at Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York on ESPN.

Although Green is heavily favored, the bout is significant in at least one sense. Daniels lost her IBF heavyweight title to Shields via a lopsided unanimous decision in July of last year. Comparisons to how Green (16-1, 11 KOs) does against the normally durable contender are sure to follow.

However, the 36-year-old doesn’t want to hear them. And she refuses to think about any potential matchups until Daniels is out of the way.

“The only person on my mind is Lani Daniels,” Green told The Ring. “I don’t care about comparisons to how Claressa did, either. Daniels is a former champion, and I would be foolish to look past her and start talking about future fights. I won't do it.”

Shields is coming off an easy points win over Franchon Crews-Dezurn in defense of her undisputed heavyweight championship in February. She had said before the victory that she would fight Green next.

That might require Shields (18-0, 3 KOs) to give up her heavyweight titles. She hasn't fought at 168 pounds since beating Tori Nelson in 2018 in defense of her IBF and WBC titles.

Green, who upset Savannah Marshall last July, understands that a fight against Shields would earn her a career-high payday. But, again, first things first.

“We can talk about Claressa after April 17,” Green said. “I’ve got other things on my mind right now. None of this matters if I don’t take out Lani Daniels, so I have to focus on her first.”