Boxing Live: Savannah Marshall and Claressa Shields wasted no time renewing their verbal brawl after the Hartlepool fighter defeated Franchon Crews-Dezurn to become the undisputed super-middleweight title in Manchester.
Marshall was enjoying the company of her newly-acquired belts at her winner’s press conference when a gracious Crews-Dezurn appeared beside Shields, who took her place among the journalists, ready to interrupt. The stage is set.
The Silent Assassin was enjoying her first victory since suffering her sole professional defeat against Shields in October, the pair’s grudge dating back to Marshall’s amateur triumph over the American in 2012.
“I feel absolutely amazing,” Marshall said. “I came up short in October, it was the worst feeling in the world, but I stuck to it and kept to my dreams.”
“I knew Franchon was tough; what a woman, she’s incredible, a concrete head, I knew she’d make it physical, I knew I’d be on the floor at some point – glad it wasn’t from a punch!
“She’s a tough lady with a brick of a head. She’s gone to hell and back and would do everything to keep all the belts.
“I came up short in October, and my world had ended, but I’m overjoyed to be undisputed.”
When the final bell rang on Saturday night, and Marshall’s duty was through, all eyes would be on ringside Shields.
Following the bout, Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom claimed, “Claressa Shields is the one we want, it’s the only fight out there for Claressa,” before hyping Marshall’s North East homecoming.
“I’d love to be at St James’Park because they’re really supporting female sport right now,” the champion explained.
Meanwhile, Shields, the undisputed middleweight champion, has insisted that any potential rematch take place in the United States.
“I’m not going to Detroit,” Marshall said. “I think female boxing is huge right now in the UK, but there’s no money in female boxing in the US.”
She went on to deny ideas that she would accept an easier tune-up battle before facing Shields again.
“I’m 32, and nobody else in the division is around,” Marshall added. “There are definitely things I would change about the first fight, even though Claressa was at her best.
“I want that rematch, but now that I’m a champion, I have other options. I doubt she’ll agree to a rematch. She came here on her own and paid for our own tickets. She was pretty humiliating in her yelling.
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