Claressa Shields Holds Nothing Back on the Topic of Savannah Marshall
When looking at what matches folks are looking forward to for the rest of 2022, one of them is undoubtedly the showdown between unified middleweight champ Claressa “GWOAT” Shields (12-0, 2 KOs) and WBO champ Savannah Marshall (12-0, 10 KOs). They will battle it out on September 10 at the O2 Arena in London, England, for the undisputed middleweight championship.
The subtext that adds extra spice to this matchup is that Marshall handed Shields her lone amateur loss back at the 2012 AIBA World Championships. Shields has gone on to reach unprecedented levels of success in the professional ranks, which includes becoming the undisputed champion previously at 160 and 154.
Despite her many accolades, Marshall is the one opponent that fans and pundits want to see her face. The WBO champ has come on strong. Observers consider her not only an excellent boxer, but one of the hardest punchers in women’s boxing. But Shields is unfazed. During an interview with the boxing media, the 27-year-old says that Marshall is simply not in her league.
NOT ON MY LEVEL
“The truth is she’s lightyears behind me, and I’ve already taken off, and I’m much better than her. Her only opportunity to win the fight is to land a lucky shot and knock me out, and I just don’t see it happening. But I know that I’ve been in her head for a long time.”
“[…] She fought a whole bunch of tomato cans, and she’s 12-0 with ten knockouts. But if you go and look at her record, the majority of those girls had losing records, and you supposed to knock them out on three days’ notice or a week’s notice. You supposed to knock out girls like that […] I think she knows she’s in for a big fight; a tough fight.”
SHE WANTS TO BE ME
This fight is more than proving who is the best at 160. There’s an overtly personal dynamic. Both ladies have hurled insults at each other in person, in interviews, and on social media. They share an equal amount of disdain for one another. Shields was blunt in her personal assessment of Marshall.
“Marshall a bitch, that’s it. She’s a bitch and she’s going to keep being one. She’s a hater. She wish she was me. She wishes he had the belts, the gold medals and she don’t. So, Marshall just wants to be me; she wish she was black and everything. It’s just sad.”
Many pundits believe that Marshall is Shields’ toughest opponent to date. But the self-proclaimed “GWOAT” is determined to show she’s the superior fighter once and for all. Whenever you have a match of highly skilled combatants who clearly do not like each other, those are the ingredients for fireworks in the ring. September 10 is a date all fight fans should mark on their calendars.
Reading Time: 3 minutes
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
