‘It’s gonna be a cakewalk’: Claressa Shields dismisses Savannah Marshall threat

The rivals exchanged words after Shields won her UK debut in Cardiff on Saturday

Claressa Shields is expected to fight Savannah Marshall this year (Getty Images)

Claressa Shields has said she does not expect a tough test if she fights Savannah Marshall this year, with the pair expected to go head-to-head in a huge clash for women’s boxing.

American Shields made her UK debut on Saturday, winning all 10 rounds against Ema Kozin on all three judges’ scorecards to extend her unbeaten professional record to 12-0 – while handing her opponent her first loss.

After the fight in Cardiff, undisputed middleweight champion Shields went face-to-face with Briton Marshall, whose amateur victory over the two-time Olympic gold medalist marks the only occasion on which Shields has ever lost in boxing.

The pair traded insults ahead of an expected clash later this year, though Marshall must first overcome Femke Hermans in March.

“I think everybody is rushing this fight with Savannah Marshall, she needs to win first,” Shields said on Tuesday, speaking at a promotional event for mixed martial arts promotion the Professional Fighters League (PFL).

Between her last two boxing bouts, Shields fought twice in the PFL, winning her debut via TKO before losing her second outing by split decision.

“If [the Marshall fight] happens, in June, I’ll then be taking off from boxing for about a year to get ready for the PFL season,” Shields continued.

“Next year you probably won’t see a lot of me in boxing. They say I have a mandatory [challenger]. If I have to spend four weeks training for a girl to beat her up, then I will.”

The 26-year-old was defiant in her prediction around a fight with Marshall, however, saying: “It’s not ‘if’ I beat Savannah Marshall; that’s gonna be a cakewalk.”

The PFL event took place a day after Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano held a press conference in London ahead of their seismic title fight in April, a bout that is being marketed as the biggest in women’s boxing history.

Taylor, promoted by Eddie Hearn, and Serrano, promoted by YouTube star Jake Paul, are both set to see seven-figure paydays for that contest.

“In women’s boxing, there’s a lot of sexist stuff that goes on with that,” Shields said. “It’s starting to come around now, but…

“Women’s boxing and boxing [in general] could learn a lot from the PFL. You decide your own destiny,” she added, referencing the fact that men’s and women’s champions in the promotion all receive $1million in prize money.

“In women’s boxing, I just signed a seven-figure deal for two fights – and that’s probably one of the biggest ever in women’s boxing.”