Savannah Marshall believes that a fight with Claressa Shields will happen
Britain’s first ever female amateur World Champion, Savannah Marshall, moved up to 8-0 with a sixth stoppage win over Ashleigh Curry (8-13-4) at the Newcastle Arena on the undercard of Davies Jr vs Ritson British super-lightweight title fight on October 19, live on Sky Sports.
The ‘Silent Assassin’ made short work of her 34-year-old American opponent, with a third-round TKO win.
The undefeated Hartlepool sensation, trained by Peter Fury, wasn’t too enamoured with her opposite number, however, stating in an interview with iFL TV, “To be honest, last two fights haven’t been girls that I wanted, I’ve given them three or four girls, but it seems they’re not getting the girls that I’d like to base myself on, so the opponents haven’t been ideal, but at least I’m fighting, so that’s the main thing.”
Only half of the 28-year-old super-middleweight’s opponents have had winning records – two unbeaten – but the North East sports star believes there’s only a shallow pool of talent in female boxing outside of the world title contenders.
“There seems to be, like, the elite, where there’s three or four, and then there’s a big drop, there’s nothing in between, like the men’s weights, like European level; there’s the ones with world titles then everyone else seems to be a big step below.”
On the subject of the elite fighters operating in the top echelons of boxing, female superstar Claressa Shields is the current undisputed middleweight world champion, aiming to make history by becoming a three-divisional champion as she moves down to light-middleweight for her next world title shot.
Already holding a win over the Michiganite in the amateurs, Savannah is convinced that she would make it two wins from two if the former rivals were to meet again, but it’s a fight that the Hartlepool boxer would rather build first.
“I could probably box Claressa next month, but what's that to me? She’s a global superstar in boxing, but it’s a business, so I know if I carry on what doing I’m doing at super-middle, I’ve got the ability, I’m not a big super-middle so I can drop down to middle and then build that fight with her. But at the minute, I’ve got other options and I’m not Claressa’s only option.
“Like I say, I could box her next month, but what good is that to me?”
Marshall remains the only boxer to have inflicted a ring defeat on the two-weight titlist when she outpointed the US golden girl in China on route to cementing herself as Britain’s first ever female amateur World Champion in 2012.
“Claressa is the undisputed Middleweight Champion so in that aspect she is ahead of me. I believe that fight will happen soon and that I will beat her again, like I did as an amateur. I think I’m twice the fighter now than I was when we last fought, so it makes no difference to me where the fight takes place, I’ll beat her again.
“I had almost 100 amateur bouts and I’ve come up against all sizes and styles of opponents. I’ve boxed all over the world so there’s not that many styles I haven’t come across. I just want to show the world what I am capable of and what I can do.”
Marshall, signed to Matchroom, hopes to fight once more this year, she added, “My teammate Hughie Fury is fighting, hopefully, next month, so hopefully I’ll get on the bill with him then start up again next year.”