Claressa Shields v Savannah Marshall preview: Shields and Marshall clash in huge night for women’s boxing

Claressa Shields comes to the UK aiming to become the undisputed middleweight champion of the world but standing in the way, and defending her WBO middleweight title, is Savannah Marshall, the only fighter to have defeated Shields in her career.

In what has been billed as the biggest ever card in women’s boxing history, two elite fighters battle it out to unify the divisions and take the status of undisputed champion of the world.

It is the first-ever televised all-women’s card and is set to inspire a new generation of new boxers. We preview the main fight below.

Shields out to avenge her only ever defeat

Claressa Shields goes into this bout as the WBC, WBA and IBF middleweight champion and is attempting to unify the major belts and become the undisputed world champion.

Although undefeated as a professional, Shield’s has lost once before as an amateur and that came against Marshall. She has a record of 12-0-0 since turning pro, taking two of her victories via knockout, and while that record is impressive, her run as an amateur is even more eye-catching. Taking 64 wins and only one loss, Shields is no stranger to success, and in pre-match discussions and conferences, she has appeared supremely confident that she will win the bout.

Although she will enter the arena with superior status, the 5’8” fighter from Michigan is the slight underdog at evens to win at the O2. She has been very vocal about believing she is technically a better boxer than her adversary though and is sure to show huge spirit and desire in the ring.

She is 8/1 to win via KO, TKO and DQ but a victory via technical decision looks her most likely route to the finish line at 11/8.

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Silent but deadly

The favourite in the bout comes in at 5/6 to take the win. Briton Savannah Marshall is known for her lack of words and preference for letting her boxing skills do the talking.

However, the magnitude of the occasion and the amount of trash talk that her opponent has dished out has provoked a rare reaction from the fighter who claims the one loss on Shields’ record, inflicted by her in 2012, will play on her mind and eat away at her ability to avenge the defeat.

The taller woman who stands at 5’11” also has the advantage of being trained by Peter Fury, a man who Tyson Fury claimed helped get him into boxing and trained him for his historic victory over Wladimir Klitschko.

She is said to have developed over the last few years and possesses great power in her upper body with a strong punch that has contributed to her 12-0-0 professional record. After a reportedly brutal training camp provided by her trainer, she looks to have all of the ingredients to claim the undisputed status.

Savannah is a far shorter price at 11/4 to win the fight via KO, TKO or DQ, even with enhanced odds, and is the favourite to win in every round. However, she is the outsider at 3/1 to take a victory via points. With the size of the occasion likely playing on both the minds of the fighters, a draw isn’t out of the equation at 14/1.

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