Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall's Decade-Long Rivalry in Boxing and MMA

Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall’s Decade-Long Rivalry Takes Unexpected Turn as Shields Supports Marshall’s MMA Debut

September 16, 2022 – BoxingScene

Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall’s storied rivalry dates back over a decade, when the then-17-year-old Marshall outpointed Shields at the 2012 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Qinhuangdao, China. Nearly 10 years later, the two brilliant boxers renewed their hostilities in front of almost 20,000 fans at London’s O2 Arena, where Shields avenged her earlier defeat, outboxing and outfighting Marshall to become the undisputed middleweight champion of the world.

The pair’s long-running feud takes an unexpected turn this weekend, as undefeated three-weight world champion and professional MMA fighter Shields will be in Newcastle, England, to watch Marshall make her own MMA debut against Mirela Vargas in the Professional Fighters League.

“Honestly, I want to see her go out there and be great,” Shields told BoxingScene. “We’re both representing women’s boxing, so if she goes out there and loses – especially if she loses in spectacular fashion – it kind of makes all of us in women’s boxing look bad, because she’s one of our top girls, to be honest. She’s our knockout artist.”

While Marshall has expressed her love for the grappling aspect of MMA training, Shields believes the former undisputed middleweight champion should prioritize her striking prowess.

“Savannah’s a big puncher,” Shields said. “I was taught from very early on that when you’re fighting against somebody who’s really good on the ground, the more you punch them, the more those belts rankings go down.”

Although a third fight between the two boxing stars in an MMA cage would be a compelling prospect, Shields isn’t necessarily using this weekend’s event as a scouting mission.