Savannah Marshall admits that the possibility of meeting Claressa Shields inside the cage was a major reason for her decision to enter the world of mixed martial arts.
'The Silent Assassin' recently announced that he will make his MMA debut at the Professional Fighters League in Newcastle on June 8th.
It's been just over a year since Marshall became the undisputed super middleweight champion with a majority decision win over Franchon Cruz-Dezrun in Manchester.
The win marked her strong reaction to her first career loss to Shields on a historic all-female card at the O2 Arena in October 2022, with both men facing off against Marshall opponents. This is the only loss for the American in the amateur ranks, who had been embroiled in a long-running rivalry that stemmed from a victory over the Red Bulls.
“This is why PFL signed me, because they see the potential for me and Claressa to fight inside the cage,” Marshall said. Sky Sports.
“I watched her last game live and now I know what I'm seeing on the field and I know how difficult it is, because after watching her first two games… Because I thought she was terrible.
“But now I realize how difficult it is to change my boxing and defend takedowns, and instead of just looking at my fists, I’m looking at my feet.
“I remember after the game in Saudi she said how hard it was and I thought, 'Claressa, I get it.' Fair play to her. She's a warrior. .I still don’t like her!”
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Marshall talks about his rematch with Shields and whether we'll see it in a boxing ring or a mixed martial arts cage
Marshall joked that Shields “probably thinks I'm stalking her,” and Shields is also known for juggling boxing and MMA, going 2-1 in the PFL.
“When I met her in Saudi, I invited her to the game. She said she would come, but I don't think she has good memories of Newcastle,” Marshall said.
“Hopefully she can be there and stand by the cage and criticize me. That's what it's all about.”
Although the coveted rematch, which followed Shields' victory over Marshall, did not initially materialize, it remains firmly remembered as one of the greatest duels in women's boxing history.
It has not yet been determined whether the fight will take place in a cage or in a ring. Few people would object to seeing both.
Shields' promoter Dmitry Salita admitted he was open to considering a second contest while both fighters are in their “prime years.”
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Marshall says MMA is much more difficult than he expected and he has a newfound respect for the sport ahead of his PFL debut on June 8th.
“Claressa vs. Marshall is a real sports rivalry like Ali vs. Frazier or Leonard vs. Hearns. If they were to play chess, it would be competitive and personal,” Sarita said. Sky Sports. “MMA is a fighting sport, so it's interesting that Savannah is following Claressa's path.
“I'm sure there would be interest in a mix between them inside the cage. That being said, they're both great boxing champions and one of the greatest boxing matches I've ever seen.” We fought one.”
“Savannah, just like Christina Hammer, brought a special performance from Claressa and let the world know how special she is. Great people thrive when the stakes are highest, Claressa delivers performance.
“A rematch with both men still in their primes makes a lot of sense and we would be happy to discuss it.”
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Shields sent Marshall a chilling message, telling him that he would never be able to beat “The GWOAT” in MMA, boxing, or table tennis.
Marshall touted her step as an exciting new story in her career, suggesting she would relish the opportunity to “kick Claressa in the throat”. She might still have a chance.
“PFL has a league and a season, but me and Claressa are not participating in the season,” Marshall said. “I don't know what her plans are, but I'm not thinking about sitting out the season, playing a few games and then playing against Claressa. That's the whole reason I came here.
“She has had three fights, but she is not a black belt, a grappler or a Thai kickboxer.
“I'd like to try her in the cage.”
But one thing Marshall wanted to reiterate was that she doesn't think her boxing career is over. She's not far off.
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Check out the highlights of the epic bout between Fight of the Year contenders Shields and Marshall!
Shields suffered the only loss on her professional record on one of the biggest nights in women's mixed martial arts history. Marshall remains keen for more challenges, but first she thinks she's open to a welcome change in discipline.
“I'd love to fight Claressa in the boxing ring again, but I've been boxing for 23 years and thinking about another camp and the double jab and backhand combination, it's hard to take a step back and try something new. “I felt like I wanted to have it,” she said. she said.
“I want to fight in the ring again, that’s the plan, but this is so fresh, so new, new team, new people in the gym.
“Even stupid things like not wearing boots or wearing 4-ounce gloves, you don't have wrist support. That's the least of my concerns, but I love it.”
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Immediately after the epic battle, Shields praised Marshall, saying, “It was the toughest fight of my career.”
Marshall, who is working with Andy Aspinall and interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall for his MMA debut, noted that adjusting from a traditional boxing stance will be difficult.
She admitted that she had given little thought to MMA until now. How has that changed?
“Very early on, I came out and thought, 'I suck, I totally suck,'” she laughed.
“When I first asked about it and the PFL came to me and said they were interested, I thought, 'How difficult can it be?' “I told my manager to contact PFL and find out.'' They might give me a fight and I would be doing this for three months.
“Wow, how much I underestimated this sport. Whoever does MMA, what a fighter. Absolutely barbaric.”
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