By Charles Brun: Unified female middleweight champion Claressa Shields is upset at the postponement of her undisputed championship with WBO champ Savannah Marshall for their fight that was supposed to have taken place last Saturday night in the UK.
The contest was postponed due to the passing of the queen of England, and rather than go through with it; the event was canceled. Shields & Marshall (12-0, 10 KOs) will now battle it out next month on October 15th in the UK for middleweight supremacy.
According to promoter Dmitry Salita, the unbeaten IBF, WBA & WBC champion Shields went through a lot, getting ready for the weigh-in and all the training that she had done to prepare for the fight.
The postponement of the fight likely won’t alter the outcome of the bout, as Shields is so much quicker and more talented than the lanky 5’11” Savannah.
Also, Shields throws a lot more punches, which is going to make it impossible for the slower Marshall to match her in that department. For me, this fight has mismatch written all over it.
“She’s going to deal with this like a champ that she is. She’s going to take some time off and rebuild, re-think and come out to rumble on October 15th,” said promoter Dmitry Salita to Boxing Social about Claressa Shields.
“Claressa is obviously upset. She had to make weight and go through a long training camp. It’s obviously quite challenging when you prepare your mind and your body for the spirit of this tough challenge.
“Being thousands of miles away from home and getting in the ring to perform at such a high level, and unexpectedly, it falls apart. It’s obviously very challenging. Claressa is a true professional.
“We have to do the best we can under the circumstances. We understand that the country is grieving. Tomorrow night was supposed to be a celebration of women’s boxing, but obviously, it’s not the proper time for that.
“The fight was rescheduled, and I believe on October 15th, it’ll be a phenomenal night. There’s a deeper story, and it keeps getting longer. All in all, I believe it’s going to turn out for the best.
“The weigh-in was at one o’clock, and the fight wouldn’t have been until nighttime [on Saturday], so it would have been safe. It’s about respecting the country we’re in and understanding the mourning process,” said Shields.
