Claressa Shields: St James' Park touted as venue for blockbuster Savannah Marshall fight

St James’ Park, home of Newcastle Football Club, has been touted as the venue for a blockbuster fight between Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall.

Shields makes her UK debut this evening, coming up against Slovenia’s Ema Kozin at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff.

The pair are fighting on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Williams. If Shields defeats Kozin, a highly-anticipated clash against Marshall is likely up next.

Marshall, from Hartlepool in the north-east of England, won her most recent fight against Lolita Muzeya in Newcastle. Promoter Ben Shalom has revealed she could return to the city to fight Shields.

“There is interest from St. James Park,” said Shalom, who works for BOXXER. “They see it as a women’s super-fight. That is a massive statement.

“That’s where we want Marshall vs Shields to happen. This is what we are building towards.

“This is the dream for Savannah, and this is where the interest is coming from. Marshall has a big following now – there was a great turnout for her headline show in Newcastle.”

Shields has only lost once in her career, falling to Marshall when the pair both fought at amateur level. A rematch between the pair has been heavily touted for some time.

“Shields has struggled to get the big money and big opportunities because she wiped out her competition,” Shalom said.

“It will be a culture shock for her to come and fight in front of a Newcastle crowd! But her experience in Cardiff will prepare her well because there will be a similarly fiery atmosphere.”

The 26-year-old Shields, a two-time Olympic champion, currently holds the WBA, WBC and IBF middleweight titles.

She will put them all on the line against Kozin, who is a middleweight world champion in her own right and holds