Marshall: 'Shields is a bully - simple as that'

Savannah Marshall insists she will not be intimidated ahead of her showdown with American rival Claressa Shields for the undisputed world middleweight championship on September 10, live on Sky Sports.

After two days of media events to promote the historic all-women's boxing bill at the O2 that their fight headlines, Marshall has spent plenty of time in her opponent's company.

The Briton maintains she has shrugged off the war of words. "It's comical, it's the same thing with her, it's nothing new. I thought she might have had better craic," Marshall said. "But she never, it's just the same. She's quite predictable.

"I'm comfortable in Claressa's presence. She doesn't scare me."

A significant 2012 amateur win makes Marshall the only boxer to have beaten Shields. The long-running feud has festered between them since then. Today both are unbeaten professionals and between them hold all four of the major middleweight titles.

The Briton is convinced she has the tools to repeat a victory over Shields. "I've seen how she boxes other girls. She's a bully. That is what she is. She's a bully, simple as that," Marshall said.

"I think I'm a lot smarter than Claressa and I always have been and that's what will win me the fight. It's her ignorance that will lose her this fight," she added.

"She might not say she respects me but I know deep, deep down a little bit of her does. Because she won't admit it to herself, that is what will lose her this fight."

The rivalry between the two is intensely personal. But promoter Ben Shalom can take in the bigger picture. He sees it as a milestone in British and international boxing.

"It's been something that we've been planning for 12 months. We've worked with both fighters. We've seen Savannah go