Savannah Marshall says Claressa Shields should want to face her on optimal terms as September date set for mega-fight | boxing news

Savannah Marshall has insisted Claressa Shields should want to fight her in top form, amid a war of words between the rivals after their undisputed middleweight clash was delayed by an injury to the Briton.

The mega-fight between WBA, WBC and IBF Shields middleweight champion and WBO titleholder Marshall was originally scheduled for late July, but the latter undergoing arm surgery means the clash is now set to take place in early September.

Shields took to social media to vent her frustration with the delay, but Marshall insists the American should want the fight to take place with both fighters in peak condition.

“She’s tweeting that the fight isn’t happening and she’s looking at other opponents,” Marshall said. sky sports. “Why, for four or five weeks back? She says she’s not putting her career on hold. Five weeks is not a gap year, for the magnitude and size of the fight it’s not nothing.

“It comes down to whether she really wants the fight, because I know for a fact that the apology she’s already made is a far cry from someone who is self-proclaimed the greatest of all time.

“If anything, she should want to fight me as hard as I can to prove she’s the best out there.”

Marshall explained that the delay was ultimately the result of a chain of events that began with his previous outing – a devastating knockout victory over Femke Hermans – being pushed back.

“The surgery was on my arm,” Marshall said. “It was an old injury that needed to be sorted out. I was due to have surgery in March but unfortunately my fight was pushed back to April which had a ripple effect on everything.

“The fight with Claressa was supposed to be at the end of July, but I won’t be 100% for it, it’s just not possible.

“I don’t want to put myself in a position where I’m not 100 percent. I have to be 100 percent to box Claressa and beat her.”

“Shields’ head fell off”

Marshall, who became world champion in 2020 by beating Hannah Rankin, believes Shields’ social media proclamations are the result of fear of the American.

“I have a list as long as my arm of allegations she made,” Marshall said.

“She falls on self-confidence online, but I know full well behind the scenes that her head has fallen.”

The only loss of Shields’ career – both professional and amateur – came against Marshall in 2012, and the Briton took the opportunity to remind him last week on the 10th anniversary of the fight.

“I don’t really use social media so I kept poking the sleeping bear and then I left,” Marshall said.

“Since then she’s thrown her toys in the pram and said we’re not fighting and she’s watching other opponents, so I think that’s done the job a little too much.”