Savannah Marshall has only one fighter and fight on her mind … and it’s not Claressa Shields.
Every time she faces the media – and that’s been a lot this week – the name comes up again and again.
But that super-fight will wait and the 30-year-old refuses to be distracted by arch-rival as she prepares to defend her WBO world middleweight title in Newcastle.
It’s there she’ll face little-known Lolita Muzeya, an unbeaten African who has won every one of her 16 contests.
“What Claressa has been saying doesn’t really interest me,” said the Hartlepool star.
“I think people have been trying to get me to bite about it, but I have more important things on my mind, like my fight with Lolita.
“I can’t afford to be concentrating on anything but her.”
That professional outlook should bring her an 11th consecutive victory at the Utilita Arena.
Marshall has been brilliant in each of her world title fights, stopping both Hannah Rankin and Maria Lindberg in some style, not that she’s taking anything for granted here.
“I’m expecting to be fighting the best Lolita,” the Peter Fury-trained fighter told punch-lines.
“She’s going to be motivated and I’m expecting her to come at me.
“But that doesn’t bother me, I’m going to remain calm and box my fight.
“I’m experienced now and know that you don’t have to fight fire with fire.
“Training has gone well, I feel a bit tired but think that’s more to do with doing two long camps back to back after I was supposed to fight in the summer and the got called off.”
It will be Marshall’s first fight in front of an audience for exactly two years – ironically in Newcastle where she stopped Ashleigh Curry early in their England v USA bout.
Since then, both of her contests have been behind closed doors.
“It’s nice to be able to box in front of my family and friends again,” she said. “They’ve seen my fights on telly, but it’s not the same.
“I enjoyed the last show in Newcastle and can’t wait for Saturday.”
Going back to Shields, what did happen in their sparring session in the States in 2016, when the undefeated American claims “she whupped her ass.”
“I’m not sure she knows what she’s on about sometimes,” smiled the Silent Assassin. “Our team was there for two weeks – she didn’t spar in the first week because she said she had a bad back and didn’t bother in the second week.
“I think the Americans made her spar on the last day. I’d say there were no more than 10 punches from her – I just jabbed my way through.
“When you know you might be fighting someone for real further down the line, you don’t want to show each other your best stuff, do you?”
Speaking in an interview with Seconds Out, Savannah said: She shoots me a load of abuse and then she sends me a message saying ‘good luck babe’.”
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Tom Collins
