Peter Fury fully believes his fighter Savannah Marshal has got the best, the most devastating punch in the female sport today. Fury, who spoke with Sky Sports, says Marshall can keep the kind of activity level and aggression she showed for two rounds in taking out Lolita Muzeya, “for four, five, six, seven rounds.” And that, Fury says “is very rare.”
There is no doubting 30 year old Marshall’s power, with the reigning WBO middleweight champion having an 11-0(9) record. But the big question everyone is asking right now is: can Marshall beat Claressa Shields in what will be one of the biggest fights in the history of women’s boxing? In fact, the question being asked is, can Marshall defeat Shields again? As fans know, Marshall is the ONLY person to have ever beaten Shields, amateur or pro. It was way back in 2021, when Shields was just a teenager, when Marshall got the decision victory, so it might not mean too much.
Still, 26 year old Shields, 11-0(2) has done just about everything else other than get revenge for that sole blot on her otherwise flawless record. Shields and Marshall will co-headline a card in Birmingham, UK on December 11 – and then it should be the big one some time in 2022. As confident as Fury is in Marshall and her punching power, he does list Shields Vs. Marshall as “50-50 fight.”
“Everyone has got their own fabulous technique. Katie Taylor is magnificent, she’s a top fighter. But name me a woman in any division that has got power and can box,” Fury said. “When Savannah gets you going, you’re not getting off. She has got that instinct to do damage. I don’t know anybody in any other division that’s like Savannah. Claressa Shields is tough and she belongs where she is. That’s going to be a very good fight. I’m sure Claressa Shields is one tough customer as well. That’s what makes this fight so exciting. It’s a 50-50 fight. Claressa Shields hasn’t got terrific punch power, that’s for sure, and Savannah has. But Claressa has got very fast hands. It’s a tremendous fight.”
That it is. But who wins? Very much a Boxer Vs. Puncher affair, this one could be a classic fight, maybe even the best in the history of women’s boxing. It simply has to happen. Both fighters want it, the fans want it, the promoters want it. Let’s hope they can make it happen, and next year. We’ve waited long enough to find out whether that 2012 win scored by Marshall was a fluke or not.
