Claressa Shields will face Savannah Marshall on September 10 as both fighters eye victory on what will be an historic night for women’s boxing in the UK.
Claressa Shields v Savannah Marshall is officially set for September 10 on what will be an historic night for women’s boxing in the UK.
The two unbeaten superstars will become the first female fighters to headline at London’s O2 Arena, and they will do so on an all-female card. The fight will air live on Sky Sports.
The chief support will be another mouthwatering showdown, with Mikaela Mayer and Alycia Baumgardner locking horns for the title of undisputed world super-featherweight champion.
Two-time Olympic Champion Shields and Marshall both possess 12-0 professional records, but they have an old and painful score to settle. Hartlepool star Savannah remains the only person ever to beat Claressa - when they were both amateurs at the 2012 World Championships in China.
Claressa on Savannah
Marshall claimed a decision victory that night, and ever since then a rematch at some stage had seemed inevitable. Now it’s for real, and the needle between the pair is clear.
Speaking at Tuesday’s press conference to officially announce the bout, the 27-year-old Shields said: "I don't hate nobody but I really do have a huge dislike for her. My grandmother told me not to use the word hate so I won't use it, but I don't like Savannah and she's one of my biggest haters.
"They're saying she's a big knockout puncher, she's the only blemish on my record as an amateur, that she has the recipe to beat me.
“My job is to show that she doesn't and that I don't reign supreme in three different weight classes for no reason. If she was better than me, she'd be the one supreme in three different weight classes, not me."
The September 10 showdown will take place with all of the world middleweight titles on the line - Marshall is the WBO champion while Claressa is the IBF, WBA and WBC title holder.
Savannah on Claressa
Savannah, now 31, is confident that she has what it takes to repeat that 2012 victory when the lights are brightest in September.
She said: "I'm actually a fan of Claressa Shields, she's a pioneer and what she has done for the sport has been amazing.
“But the reality is, she doesn't beat me. She didn't before and she won't again. And it kills her, it absolutely burns her inside, the fact that I beat her and I'll beat her again. I'm not just going to beat her, I'm going to outbox her. I'm going to hurt her.
"This fight has been a long time coming but we're here now, and September 10, I will be the new middleweight champion of the world."
Shields vs Marshall is yet another massive event for women’s boxing in what is becoming an epic year. Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano became the first female fighters to headline at Madison Square Garden in April, producing an epic battle in front of a sellout crowd.
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