Arguably the fiercest rivalry in boxing finally comes to a head this weekend when Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall collide for the undisputed middleweight championship.
The fight had originally been pencilled in for September 10 but was called off following the news about the Queen’s death.
This explosive encounter is bolstered by an undercard jam-packed with talent from the women’s boxing scene, with Mikaela Mayer and Alycia Baumgardner’s super-featherweight unification, a worthy headliner in its own right, the chief support. Lauren Price, Ebonie Jones, Caroline Dubois and Olympic bronze medallist Karriss Artingstall also feature.
Here’s everything you need to know about a landmark night of boxing in the capital.
Where: O2 Arena, London
When: Saturday 15th October
How To Watch: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena. The coverage kicks off at 7.30m in the UK, with the ringwalks for Shields vs Marshall expected at 10.30pm.
Tale Of The Tape:
Shields
Place Of Birth: Flint, Michigan, USA
Residence: Flint, Michigan, USA
Age: 27
Alias: T-Rex
Record: 12-0 (2)
Height: 5’8’’
Reach: 68’’
Stance: Orthodox
Last Fight: With Marshall sitting ringside, Shields cruised to a 10 round unanimous decision win over Ema Kozin at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff on February’s Liam Williams vs Chris Eubank Jr card.
Marshall
Place Of Birth: Hartlepool, UK
Residence: Hartlepool, UK
Age: 31
Alias: Silent Assassin
Record: 12-0 (10)
Height: 5’11½’’
Reach: N/A
Stance: Orthodox
Last Fight: At Newcastle’s Utilita Arena in April, Marshall demolished Belgium’s Femke Hermans in three rounds, paving the way for this weekend’s undisputed clash with Shields.
What They Say:
Shields
“I’m going to quieten all the doubters about my knockout power, my skills and all my accomplishments.
“This isn’t the first time being the underdog. I’ve done this numerous times and come out on top. ‘Claressa you may have a big mouth, but you back it up every time’. That’s what I want you to say."
Marshall
“I’ve said I’m going to hurt you and I will. You’re nothing but a bully, that’s what you are.
“Of course I have respect for Claressa, what she doesn’t like is I have an opinion.
“I watched her last fight and thought it was diabolical and I told her that. That’s what she didn’t like.”
Full Fight Card:
Savannah Marshall v Claressa Shields, WBO, WBA, WBC, IBF & The Ring middleweight titles
Mikaela Mayer v Alycia Baumgardner, WBC, WBO, IBO, IBF, & The Ring super-featherweight titles
Caroline Dubois v Milena Koleva, lightweight
Lauren Price v Timea Belik, welterweight
Ebonie Jones v Vanesa Caballero, featherweight
Ginny Fuchs v Gemma Ruegg, flyweight
Karriss Artingstall v Marina Sakharov, featherweight
April Hunter v Erica Juana Gabriela Alvarez, super-welterweight
Georgia O'Connor v Joyce Van Ee, super-welterweight
Sarah Liegmann v Bec Connolly, super-bantamweight
Shannon Ryan v Buchra El Quaissi, super-flyweight
Betfred Odds:
Shields: 20/21
Draw: 14/1
Marshall: 20/21
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
