She’ll beat Claressa Shields in every department, she’ll outclass her, she’ll out punch her and stop her.
A pretty emphatic assessment of the biggest fight in women’s boxing history.
It comes from the man who has managed Savannah Marshall to the WBO world champion and for tonight’s undisputed middleweight championship clash with Shields at the 02 – Mick Hennessy.
After her glitzy start as a professional in Las Vegas under the legendary Floyd Mayweather, the Hartlepool boxer has tasted success after success back in England under Hennessy and coach Peter Fury.
They hope the culmination of all that hard work will be a bundle of belts at the London venue where the IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO, Ring and now the WBC Elizabethan titles are up for grabs against the 27-year-old American, who refers to herself as the GWOAT. The greatest woman of all time.
“I’m extremely proud of Savannah,” Hennessy told punch-lines.
“The class she has, the variety of shots, the hand speed, the punch power, the angles is brilliant. She’s become a major star.
“We’ve always known it was there but Peter Fury has done an incredible job and she’s got a brilliant pro style.
“I’ve said this for a while, she’s the best female fighter on the planet, bar none.
“She’s different, she’s unique, she’s got that punch power which a lot of women haven’t got. She’s proved that.
“For all the bravado Claressa has, she will have watched Savannah’s world title wins and know she’s got a huge problem.
“Savannah is in the shape of her life.
“She’ll beat Claressa Shields in every department, she’ll outclass her, she’ll out punch her and stop her.”
Hennessy was the manager who first guided Tyson Fury to world glory, the “Gypsy King’ beating IBF, WBA and WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko in Germany in 2015.
Marshall is unbeaten in 12 contests, 10 of those wins via stoppage, including the last eight opponents, who have lasted only 26 rounds between them.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Lawrence Lustig/ BOXXER
