Three-weight world champ Claressa Shields is arguably the finest female boxer fighting today. Unbeaten at 10-0(2), Shields of Flint, Michigan has proven her skills time and again. But there could be a British challenger who holds an amateur win over Shields closing in on a rematch at pro level. Savannah Marshall of Durham in the UK has called out Shields – writing on social media how Shields’ reign will end this year:
“@Claressashields your time as a champion will end in 2020. See you soon,” Marshall wrote.
And promoter Eddie Hearn has challenged Shields to face Marshall on the undercard of the Anthony Joshua-Kubrat Pulev heavyweight title fight, currently still to be announced but expected for December.
“Let’s make the fight. Savannah goes in October so we can do December maybe on the AJ card..when is your next fight scheduled for Claressa?” Hearn wrote.
25 year old Shields has won belts at light-middle, middle and super-middleweight, while 29-year-old Marshall was to have challenged for a version of the light-heavyweight title before the coronavirus spoilt her plans. It is thought Marshall will now get her WBO 175 pound title shot, against Geovana Peres, on a Hearn card in October. Assuming Marshall is victorious, Shields could then challenge her for the title or maybe defend her super-middleweight belt.
Either way it’s an interesting fight. Marshall too has shown her class. Marshall, who won gold at the 2012 world amateur championships, is now 8-0(6) as a pro. Marshall’s win over Shields also came in 2012, when she defeated Shields in the second round of AIBA world boxing championship. Shields of course went on to win two Olympic gold medals. To this day, Marshall is the only fighter to have ever beaten Shields.
So does Shields want revenge? Can Marshall repeat her 2012 win? This one would be a terrific co-feature to the heavyweight title fight, that’s for sure. We saw an excellent female world title fight take place as the co-feature on last Saturday’s Povetkin-Whyte fight, and for many, the Katie Taylor Delfine Persoon rematch battle was the fight of the night; if not FOTY so far. Shields Vs. Marshall could also steal the show if it happens in December.