Savannah Marshall: ‘We always mention Katie Taylor, we don’t mention Claressa Shields. Her ignorance will be her downfall’

Savannah Marshall has been living in Claressa Shields’ head for a decade. The American’s defeat to her rival in their now infamous amateur clash in 2012 serves as the only blemish on her otherwise perfect boxing record. No other woman, in the amateur or professional code, has beaten her.

But despite the extraordinary success of two Olympic gold medals, world titles in three different weight classes and two undisputed title reigns, the memory of that defeat in China still burns deep.

‘You can see what the one single defeat has done to her over the last 10 years,’ Marshall said. ‘You only have to mention it and she goes from 0-10. It was an amateur fight. I get accused of holding onto this one amateur fight. But to be honest, I couldn’t care less. I was beaten plenty of times an amateur. But look at the reaction I am getting out of her. Of course I’m going to hold onto that.’

An intense and bitter rivalry comes to a head on Saturday as WBO champion Marshall is finally reunited with IBF, WBA and WBC queen Shields in the ring to crown an undisputed middleweight champion, headlining the first ever all-female boxing card at the O2 Arena. It comes almost five weeks later than billed after their original date was postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

The two couldn’t be more different; Shields, outspoken and brash and Marshall, softly-spoken but quietly confident.

The noise has been constant for Marshall, who was accused of exaggerating an injury earlier this year in order to ‘buy more time’. While Shields scooped Olympic gold in 2012 and 2016, Marshall, a Commonwealth, European and world champion at amateur level, fell at the first hurdle on both occasions. Something Shields never tires of reminding her of.

While her