Savannah Marshall has ramped up the grudge between herself and Claressa Shields ahead of the latter’s world title defence on Saturday, labelling her link up with Floyd Mayweather ‘comical’.
Shields will make her UK debut as a professional on Saturday in a world title defence against Slovenia’s Ema Kozin in Cardiff, live on Sky Sports.
Shields, who will defend her WBA, WBC and IBF middleweight titles as the co-main event alongside the all-British grudge match between Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Williams, spent some time at Mayweather’s Las Vegas gym during her preparations for the fight.
Unified middleweight champion Claressa Shields opted for some unusual footwear during her public workout in Cardiff!
Marshall will defend her WBO middleweight championship against Femke Hermans on March 12 in Newcastle, also live on Sky Sports, with the north-east fighter the only person to have defeated Shields back in 2021 at amateur level.
Victory for both would set up an undisputed middleweight championship fight between the two rivals.
“I don’t hate her! Do you know what respect is there, I think she’s a brilliant boxer, I really do,” Marshall told Sky Sports on Wednesday.
Ema Kozin showcased her skills on the pads ahead of her huge fight against unified middleweight champion Claressa Shields.
“She’s got her things she’s good at, she’s got her things she’s not good at, same as me. I think what she’s done for women’s boxing is amazing.
“I think she tries to play the whole (Floyd) Mayweather thing, being the baddie, a bit like Marmite but the thing is some things come out of her mouth and it’s just comical.
“I just think, why have none of your mates took your phone off you? Why has no one pulled you aside and went: ‘Hang on, maybe you shouldn’t put that’ or ‘maybe you shouldn’t say that.’
“But look, it’s who she is and maybe it adds to the drama.
A Savannah Marshall vs Claressa Shields fight is much-anticipated in 2022
“The Claressa fight is in my sights, it’s in touching distance. Yeah I’ve got to get past Femke and I’m not over-looking her, but me and Claressa are closer than ever.
“We’ve both got to get through our fights, her on the 5th of February, me on the 12th of March, and then we’re good to go, whereas previous it was years in the making, we weren’t even with the same promoter. So, like I said, the move to Sky and Boxxer was the best thing I could’ve done.
“Even when the Claressa fight has been and gone I’ll never get a fight like that. At the higher weights you’re going from maybe welter, super-welter, middle, super-middle, heavyweight, the depth of competition isn’t that deep.
“So this is my biggest fight, this is my biggest opportunity…I’m never going to get an opportunity like this or a platform like this, or a rivalry.”
Shields has said she expects Floyd Mayweather to attend her world title defence in Cardiff
Marshall’s fight in March is a triumphant return to the north-east for the 30-year-old five months after she sensationally knocked out Lolita Muzeya.
Next challenger Hermans is the EBU European champion and took Shields the 10-round distance when they battled in 2018.
Indeed, Marshall says that should it come to it, a bout with Marshall would be as big as the fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, and in fact, more exciting.
“I think it does but I think I’m just being biased because I’m involved in it,” she said.
“I like watching boxing but I think if you didn’t know boxing would you know who Amanda Serrano was? Don’t get me wrong, amazing athlete, amazing boxer but if I was to mention her to my mates, they wouldn’t have a clue who she was.
“But everybody knows the gobby American [Shields]…I walk down the street and people would say: ‘When are you going to box that gobby American, when you going to shut that American up?’
Claressa Shields, pictured at Wednesday’s live workout in Cardiff, has been labelled ‘comical’ by Savannah Marshall
“Like I said, I just think I’m being biased but that’s my opinion and Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano is an amazing fight, and it is like two legends, two OGs coming together, but like I said I think just the way I am, just the way Claressa is, and we’ve both got totally different styles…I can punch, she’s got the speed, so it adds to more of an exciting fight I think.”
Marshall does admit, however, that she can’t look past Hermans before the prospect of that much-anticipated fight with Shields.
“I’m expecting a tough fight, like I said she’s coming for her belt, she’s no mug.
“She knows what she’s doing and everyone is building up the fight between me and Claressa, so you know, if she puts a spanner in the works, there’s her getting that big rematch with Claressa because Claressa’s already beaten her.
“She’s not coming for a holiday put it that way.
“For me, there’s no pressure [fighting in Newcastle] as I never had intentions of turning pro, I never wanted to turn pro.
“After 2016 I was ready to walk away from the sport, it brought me nothing but grief! Since I turned pro everything’s just a bonus because I just think I was never meant to be here.
“I could’ve been sat in a call centre or headlining an arena in Newcastle!”
Sky Sports Boxing schedule
Saturday February 5 in Cardiff
Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Williams
Claressa Shields vs Ema Kozin – IBF, WBA and WBC middleweight titles
Saturday February 19 in Manchester
Amir Khan vs Kell Brook
Natasha Jonas vs Ewa Piatkowska – WBO super-welterweight title
Frazer Clarke’s pro debut
Saturday February 26 in Glasgow
Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall – undisputed super-lightweight titles
Nick Campbell vs Jay McFarlane – Scottish heavyweight title
Saturday March 5 in Fresno
Jose Ramirez vs Jose Pedraza
Saturday March 12 in Newcastle
Savannah Marshall vs Femke Hermans – WBO middleweight title
Sunday March 20 in New York
Edgar Berlanga vs Steve Rolls
Keyshawn Davis
Xander Zayas
Discussion about this post