Shields and Marshall to settle 10-year feud in ‘biggest night in women’s boxing history’
- Planet Sport writer
- 5 July 2022
‘Marshall got lucky,' says Shields of her 2012 defeat to Hartlepool boxer who is predicting a similar outcome when the two meet again at London’s 02 Arena in September.
Savannah Marshall has vowed to put an end to Claressa Shields' reign as GWOAT - greatest woman of all time - when the two meet at London's 02 Arena on Saturday, September 10.
Confirmation of the bout between American Shields and Hartlepool's Marshall, which was exclusively revealed by Planet Sport in May, came on Tuesday with the two set to square off for undisputed middleweight world champion status.
The highlight of a card dubbed "the biggest night in women's boxing history", it promises to put to bed a 10-year feud stemming from Marshall's defeat of Shields in amateur action at the London 2012 Olympics.
Both fighters are unbeaten in 12 professional fights, but that 2012 bout still plays on both fighters' minds, and at London's opulent Banking Hall in the heart of the city, the duo admitted their desire to settle a decade-long feud.
"This has to be the biggest story in women's boxing; this will be the biggest night in women's boxing history," said promoter Ben Shalom.
"It's an all-women card for the first time ever, and it's not on box office. It's taken so much to get this fight on, I would like to thank the promoters on both sides.
"It's been going on 10 years, since the 2012 Olympics. Now we're here 10 years later, at the 02."
When Savannah Marshall & Claressa Shields clashed ringside 😡🍿 pic.twitter.com/9rYEUF8FZy
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) July 4, 2022
Shields lifted the lid on her festering frustrations from that loss to Marshall in London, vowing to avenge the loss in the very same city.
"She got lucky in 2012 but she won't get lucky in 2022," said Shields who boasts the WBC, IBF, WBA and Ring magazine titles.
"I was 17, also London was hosting the Olympics, and they also favoured her. I'd never scored eight points in any fight, I just scored 30 points the day before.
"I was 17, she couldn't shake me, she didn't drop me. But all of a sudden she's a knockout puncher. I don't hate anyone. But I really do have a huge dislike for her.
"They're saying she's a big knockout puncher, she's the only blemish on my record and that she has the recipe to beat me. My job is to show the world that she doesn't.
"I don't reign supreme in three different weight classes for no reason."
British world champion Marshall remained calm and unfazed as the two boxers indulged in verbal sparring, pledging to dismantle Shields' reputation.
In particular, Shields' GWOAT nickname was treated with disdain by WBO belt-holder Marshall.
"This has been a long, long time coming but we're here now," said Marshall.
"Come September 10 I will be the new undisputed champion of the world. I'm a fan of Claressa Shields, what she's done for the sport is amazing, she's a pioneer.
"But the reality is, she doesn't beat me, she didn't before and she won't again. That defeat to me, it kills her, look, it absolutely burns inside.
"I'm not just going to beat you, I'm going to outbox you. I'm going to put an end to all this GWOAT rubbish."
