The Most Hotly Anticipated Fight In Women’s Boxing History – Shields v Marshall

This weekend’s Claressa Shields v Savannah Marshall fight is one of the most keenly anticipated contests in women’s boxing history and bet365 have joined forces with Boxxer to sponsor and promote this fantastic night of women’s boxing from the 02 in London.

While Shields v Marshall is the main event, there are a whole host of other women’s boxing bouts, including a super featherweight unification bout between Alycia Baumgartner and Mikaele Meyer.

Additionally, the undercard will also feature several members of past Team GB Olympians, with Karriss Artingstall, Lauren Price and Caroline Dubois all in action on what is a packed undercard ahead of the main event.

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Saturday’s Full Card From The 02 Arena In London

The full card from Saturday night at the 02 Arena is outlined below:

• Sarah Liehmann v Bec Connolly
• Shannon Ryan v Bucha El Quaissi
• April Hunter v Erica Alvarez
• Ginny Fuchs v Gemma Ruegg
• Karriss Artingstall v Marina Sakharov
• Ebonie Jones v Vanesa Caballero
• Lauren Price v Timea Belik
• Caroline Dubois v Milena Koleva
• Mikaela Mayer v Alycia Baumgartner
• Claressa Shields v Savannah Marshall

The eagerly awaited evening comes after what has been a hugely significant year in women’s boxing which for the first time co-headlined a main event at the famous Madison Square Garden, when Ireland’s Katie Taylor narrowly defeated Amanda Serrano in what was an outstanding contest.

Talks are already ongoing for the pair to have a rematch, which could well take place in Taylor’s home country of Ireland at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.

Then last month we saw the popular Liverpool-based fighter Natasha Jonas claim her second world title at super-welterweight when she outboxed and outpointed Patricia Berghult to add another belt to her collection.

Jonas now has the opportunity to either try and unify the division, as will be the case at middleweight when the outcome of the Shields v Marshall bout is known on Saturday night, or to move back down to a lighter weight to which she is more suited.

With the likes of Jessica McCaskill, Seniesa Estrada, Cecila Braekhus and Franchon Crews-Dazurn also shining in bouts this year, alongside the women mentioned above, women’s boxing has never been in better health.

And fights like Saturday’s bout are only going to excite fight fans more as two more of the very best fighters in the world go head to head to unify the middleweight division.

Shields v Marshall – Tale Of The Tape

Claressa Shields

• Born – March 17^th 1995 in Flint, Michigan, U.S.
• Age – 27
• Height – 5ft 8”
• Weight – 155lb
• Reach – 68”
• Nickname – The G.O.A.T

Amateur Career Highlights (64 wins, 1 Loss)

• 2012 and 2016 Olympic Champion At Middleweight. The only American Boxer to ever win successive Olympic Gold Medals.
• First American woman to win an Olympic gold.
• 2 x Junior Olympic Champion
• 1 x World Championship Champion
• 1 x Pan American Games Champion
• Her only loss came at the 2012 World Boxing Championship to Savannah Marshall.

Professional Record (12-0-0)

• 1. Beat Franchon Crews-Dezurn – UD
• 2. Beat Szilvia Szabados – TKO (Rnd 4)
• 3. Beat Sydney LeBlanc – UD
• 4. Nikki Adler -TKO (Rnd 5) – Won WBC and IBF Super Middleweight Titles
• 5. Tori Nelson – UD – Won WBAN lineal Super Middleweight Title
• 6. Hanna Gabriels – UD – Won WBA and IBF Middleweight Titles
• 7. Hannah Rankin – UD – Won WBC Female Middleweight Title
• 8. Femke Hermans – UD – Retained all Middleweight titles
• 9. Christina Hammer – UD – Won WBO and The Ring Middleweight Titles
• 10. Ivana Habazin – UD – Won WBC and WBO Light Middleweight Titles
• 11. Maria-Eve Dicaire – UD – Won IBF WBA and The Ring Light Middleweight Titles
• 12. Ema Kozin – UD – Retained all Middleweight Titles.

Current WBA, WBC, IB, WBF and The Ring Female Middleweight title holder

Current WBO, WBA, IBF, WBC and The Ring Light Middleweight title holder

Former WBC, IBF, WBAN Super Middleweight Title Holder.

Shields may not have the punching power of some of the women on this list but her almost unblemished record, punching speed and accuracy, together with relentless workrate and superb technical skills mark her out as a huge talent.

Now back boxing after a short spell in the MMA where she won one and lost one, she will want to stake her claim to being the best pound for pound fighter in the world here by avenging the one defeat she has suffered in her career, back in 2012 in China against Savannah Marshall.

Savannah Marshall

• Born – May 19^th 1991 in Hartlepool, County Durham, U.K
• Age – 31
• Height – 5ft 11.5”
• Weight – 155lb
• Reach – 71”
• Nickname – Silent Assassin

Amateur Career Highlights

• Won 2012 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, defeating Claressa Shields in Round 2 of the tournament.
• 2014 Commonwealth Games Women’s Middleweight Champion

Professional Record (12-0-0)

• 1. Beat Sydney LeBlanc – UD
• 2. Beat Ester Konecna – TKO (Rnd 2)
• 3. Beat Alejandra Atala – TKO (Rns 2)
• 4. Beat Yanina Orozco – UD
• 5. Beat Klaudia Vigh – TKO (Rnd 2)
• 6. Borislava Goranova – KO (Rnd 1)
• 7. Daniele Bastieri – TKO (Rnd 5)
• 8. Ashleigh Curry – TKO (Rnd 3)
• 9. Hannah Rankin – TKO (Rnd 7) – Won WBO Middleweight Title.
• 10. Maria Lindberg – KO (Rnd 3)
• 11. Lolita Muzeya – TKO (Rnd 2)
• 12. Femke Hermans – KO (Rnd 3)

Current WBO Middleweight WBO title holder

Marshall may not be as polished a fighter as her opponent, but there are two things that she does have which Shields will have to respect. The first is that she is the only fighter to ever beat Shields and secondly, her opponent has won by knockout or TKO in ten of her 12 fights, with just one of thos wins going beyond five rounds.

So while the Silent Assassin may not have the polish and skill set of Shields, her punching power at this weight has caused everyone problems, including three opponents who went the distance with Shields, but two of whom Marshall defeated by knockout.

Bet365 Odds – Fight Preview & Prediction

To win:

• Claressa Shields – 4/5
• Savannah Marshall – Evens
• Draw – 11/1

As you can see bet365 can barely split the two fighters ahead of the bout, although they have Shields the clear favourite to win on points (6/5), while Marshall is the clear favourite to win by a knockout or TKO (3/1).

So how will this fight go? Well, given the styles of both orthodox fighters, I can see Shields winning the early rounds and that will put pressure on Marshall to land one of her customary big shots to knock her opponent out.

If Shields can go the distance, she will win, but it is asking a lot to expect her to go 10 rounds against an opponent that has knocked out all of her last eight opponents.

Marshall’s power has troubled Shields in the past, but both fighters are more experienced and stronger now but I feel Marshall will catch Shields as the American tires and she will land that second victory over her opponent.

Take Marshall to win (Evens) and if you want to back her as a winner in the eighth round that is a 20/1 chance with bet365.