Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall lit the fuse of this explosive rivalry a long time ago, and now the pair are finally ready to face off in the professional ring. It’s one of the biggest women’s fights ever to take place and is set to unify all the belts in the middleweight division. It’s also the first televised card to exclusively feature female fighters.
The pair fought as amateurs way back in 2012 and Marshall inflicted the only defeat of Shields career to date, amateur or pro. They also share several opponents and plenty of bad feeling, giving the fight a compelling narrative before a punch has even been thrown.
In the build-up to the September fight, live on Sky Sports, Marshall predicted that she would win in explosive style and added: “I think we’ll never see her in a boxing ring again [after this fight]”.
Shields said: “She got lucky in 2012 but she won’t be lucky in 2022. I don’t hate nobody […] but I really do have a huge dislike for her.”
Hartlepool-born Marshall will be the home fighter when the pair face off at the O2 in London, but it’s Claressa Shields, from Flint, Michigan, USA who currently owns three of the four world title belts at middleweight. Fans and pundits are split on who the likely winner is, with bookmakers currently making Marshall a narrow favourite.
In her career so far, 31-year-old Marshall has amassed 12 wins and remains undefeated. Remarkably, she’s stopped 10 of those 12 opponents inside the distance. Shields (27 years old) has the same 12 fights to her name but has only stopped two opponents inside the scheduled distance, suggesting that Marshall has the advantage when it comes to power.
She’s taller too and makes the most of her height and reach thanks to Tyson Fury’s uncle and former trainer, Peter Fury, who teaches a languid and powerful boxing style to suit her build. On her side, Shields went further as an amateur fighter and excelled in Olympic competition winning back-to-back gold medals, an accolade that Marshall can’t equal.
So, how will the fight go this time around? The stage is certainly set for a fantastic night of boxing. Read on for our guide to the fight and how to get tickets, or watch on TV — or your devices — at home.
Buy Savannah Marshall vs Claressa Shields tickets at Ticketmaster
Sign up for Sky Sports to watch the fight live
Sign up for NOW short-term sports passes to watch the fight live
Savannah Marshall vs Claressa Shields: When is the fight?
The fight will take place on 10th September 2022 at London’s O2 Arena in Greenwich.
Before the main fight there are several supporting contests for fans to enjoy, including another world title bout between Mikaela Mayer and Alycia Baumgardner at super featherweight.
Savannah Marshall vs Claressa Shields: How to get tickets
Tickets are available now via Ticketmaster from as little as £30.75. That’s a great price for world championship boxing at an iconic London venue.
The closer you want to sit to the ring, the more the tickets will cost. Check out the link below for the latest prices and availability.
Buy Savannah Marshall vs Claressa Shields tickets at Ticketmaster
Savannah Marshall vs Claressa Shields: How to watch the fight on TV
There’s good news too for those who want to watch the fight from home. The match, promoted by Boxxer and screened on Sky Sports, is not a pay-per-view event.
Typically a high-profile unification bout like this would often be a pay-per-view occasion, costing extra on top of any relevant subscriptions. Thankfully, this fight is available as part of the standard Sky Sports subscription and if you don’t have one, you’ll be able to sign up for a shorter term NOW (formerly Now TV) sports pass and watch the fight live.
Sign up for Sky Sports including Sky Sports Boxing
Promoter and Boxxer figurehead Ben Shalom told Sky Sports: “Boxing’s always been seen as a little intimidating, a little closed off. Maybe it’s stopped it growing in the way it can do. For business reasons we could have put this on [pay-per-view on] Box Office and probably made a lot of money. But for the sport this serves better to a massive audience because I think it’s going to have a lasting effect of the sport.
“We will see a new audience. We will see women becoming interested in the sport. That’s why we did an all-women’s card.”
If you’re considering a Sky Sports subscription but want to weigh up all your options, it’s well worth checking out our Sky Sports offers and BT Sport offers guides.
For more sports news, events and tickets check out the RadioTimes.com sport section, or head over to our ‘going out‘ section for more on tickets and shows.