Claressa Shields, the undisputed champion of middleweight is now the winner after she won a unanimous decision over Savannah Marshall in one the most exciting fights of 2022.
They met at London’s O2 Arena for the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO middleweight world titles, five weeks after their original fight was postponed due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
That meant Shields had to wait a little longer to avenge the only defeat she’s ever suffered in professional or amateur boxing.
Marshall defeated Shields in a famous bout 10 years ago. The American then went on to win 2 Olympic gold medals, and became one of the most dominant pro boxers on Earth.
In round one, the fight exploded into action. Shields scored a big start with a flurry punches that went unsanswarded by her opponent, who seemed determined to just get out of the way as many as possible.
Marshall was successful with one of her power shots, but Shields managed to avoid any further punishment. She continued looking good in the second stanza and continued to impress the audience with her quick combinations in the third frame.
Round four was a clear indication of the fight’s pattern. Shields landed with volume, while Marshall was able to land with pop shots in a fast-paced scrap.
You’d be forgiven for thinking these two women were about to slow down but they somehow managed to pick up the pace as they bit down on their gumshields and began swinging wildly in round six.
Although Shields and Marshall looked tired in the last few rounds, their performance never faltered. Both fighters continued to swing until the end of one of the most exciting fights 2022 had ever seen.
Ultimately, the ‘GWOAT’ improved her record to 13-0 after impressing all three judges who scored the bout 96-94, 97-93 and 97-93 in her favour.
“I did what I do in training, and I got the job done. I want to thank Savannah Marshall – it was a special night for women’s boxing, and I think it was fight of the year,” Shields said post-fight.
“[Savannah]She is a hard fighter, a good fighter, and has endurance. But I am the stronger fighter. I feel like I am 2-0 against her as I don’t think I lost in the amateurs, but you can say we are 1-1. I know I did the most work today.”
Talk soon turned to a tri-fibre bout tiebreaker, but Shields will likely return to the ring. MMAShe will fight her next opponent after going 1-1 in professional fighters league.
