Savannah Marshall 1 Claressa Shields 1. A deliciously poised scoreline with talk of a decider getting louder.
That talk could be about to become shouting and screaming because the arch-rivals are in town this weekend. Or should that be in Toon?
Marshall is taking her first step in the world of Mixed Martial Arts on Saturday in Newcastle, where she fights Brazil’s Mirela Vargas and Shields says she will be there to watch the 33-year-old’s Professional Fighters League debut.
Savannah and Claressa have been involved in one of boxing’s greatest stories over the past dozen years, each winning one of their bouts at world championship level, and their intense rivalry could be decided in the PFL’s cage.
Not just yet admittedly. Shields is already a part of the PFL machine, having had three fights, two wins and a loss, so she is a few contests ahead of the Hartlepool superstar.
The American also has a boxing bout coming up on July 27, when she aims to become a four-weight world champion by winning the light-heavyweight title by beating Canada’s Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse.
While Marshall says her focus is very much on defeating Vargas at the Utilita Arena, she admits anticipation levels are high regarding a Shields re-match in the PFL.
“If the PFL had come to me and said ‘have you thought about doing MMA? Would you like to enter our league?’ I’d have said I’m not interested,” said the world super-middleweight champion.
“But when they said ‘have you thought about MMA and would you like to fight Claressa in the cage?’ Oh yeah, that’s a different narrative. Go on then!”
So what are the prospects?
“I wanted the [boxing] re-match straight away,” explained Marshall.
“But boxing politics got involved and it just hasn’t happened for whatever reason.
“I want to fight her again, I want that win back. It’s not over for me.”
The two women have been involved in wars of words as well as in the ring.
Savannah was asked by top-notch boxing journalist and broadcaster Adam Smith what she thinks of Claressa now?
“I don’t mind her,” said Marshall in the documentary ‘From Boxing to MMA’ broadcast by PFL and can be found on YouTube. “She’s actually really funny without knowing it.
“We’ve spoken a few times since London. I don’t know whether the guard has come down a little bit since she got that win back and doesn’t see me as much of a threat?
“I wouldn’t say we were bezzies yet though!
“I’ve invited her to my PFL debut and hope she can come. I was in her last fight ion Saudi Arabia and said ‘you’ve got to come to my fight in Newcastle now. You can watch my fight and rip my performance to shreds!’.”
The pair have famously met twice in the boxing ring.
Click here to watch the full and outstanding PFL documentary by Adam Smith.
First, Savannah, then 20, outboxed the teen sensation in the World Championships in 2012, taking a points decision on the way to striking gold in China.
Marshall met Shields again in October 2022, this time as professionals, with all the world middleweight belts on the line at a sold-out 02 Arena in London.
On this occasion, the American got the points verdict to inflict the only pro defeat on Savannah’s 14-fight record.
The pathway is laid out. Let’s get ready for the shouting to begin.
Tickets are on sale for the event at ticketmaster.co.uk. Click here for ticket information.
The show begins at 5pm with the doors opening at 4pm.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: PFL
