Savannah Marshall has pursued her rivalry with Claressa Shields into MMA and back to boxing but the rematch she craves remains elusive.
To such a degree that now Marshall is starting to doubt whether a second pro fight with Shields will ever happen.
“I want that rematch, I really want that rematch. I’m starting to come to terms with maybe it’s never going to happen through her not wanting it,” Marshall told Sky Sports.
“She gets the most money fighting me and maybe one day she’ll turn round and she might want that rematch but let’s just hope it’s not too late.”
Marshall handed Shields her first ever loss when they met at the amateur boxing world championships but suffered her first professional defeat to Shields in their 2022 undisputed middleweight championship clash.
After Shields began a career in mixed martial arts, Marshall signed with the same promoter, PFL, as she sought to fight the American in MMA. But a contest in the cage did not materialise.
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Claressa Shields sent a chilling message to rival Savannah Marshall saying that the she wouldn’t be able to beat ‘The GWOAT’ in MMA, boxing or ping pong!
Now Marshall will return to boxing to take on Shadasia Green next month in a super-middleweight world championship unification at Madison Square Garden in New York.
“I’ve chased that rematch for a long time,” Marshall said of Shields, “gone over to MMA, signed with PFL. She was with PFL and then all of a sudden she doesn’t want to do MMA anymore and that fight was so close to be getting made in PFL. Now I’ve come to the conclusion she’s not interested.
“She’s beat me once, does she have to prove it again to people?” Marshall added.
“Happy days for me if I get it, but for me I’m going to start looking at other options and Shadasia Green’s my first goal.”
Marshall became an undisputed world champion at 168lbs when she beat Franchon Crews Dezurn in 2023. She is looking to recapture those championships.
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Claressa Shields appeared at Savannah Marshall’s post-fight press conference to let her know she’s ready to fight her again
“I want my belts back,” she said. “It all depends on what people want to see.”
She does see Green as a threat. “I feel like with Shadasia, it’s a dangerous fight and it’s a fight I can get up for,” Marshall said.
“I think she’s very powerful but she’s only powerful when she’s allowed to do what she wants to do.
“If I stand off and let her throw all the backhands she wants, I think I’ll get beat. But that’s not something I’m willing to do.”
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Heavyweight world champion Claressa Shields discusses a potential future bout with welterweight world champion Lauren Price and what weights either of them would have to jump to
Shields ‘logical next step’ for winner
However Nakisa Bidarian, the co-founder of promoter MVP, believes Shields will want to fight the Marshall-Green victor.
“I think the logical next step for the winner of that fight is to face Claressa Shields,” Bidarian told Sky Sports.
“Claressa’s a great fighter, she’s a great champion and she’s a great talker. She knows how to get attention.
“We certainly respect that and we’re very hopeful the winner of that fight will get an opportunity with Claressa Shields.”
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