Check out all the results from today’s women’s middleweight title unification bout between Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall.
Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshal finally made it to the ring to settle their differences and unify the division tonight—after years of back-and-forth rivalry and a month after the death of Queen Elizabeth scuppered the original fight night. The main event in London came loaded with both personal and boxing significance, and was supported by a good all-women’s card.
Shields (12-0-0, 2 KOs) entered the fight with the amateur prestige, most of the belts, and much more high-level pro experience. Marshall (12-0-0, 10 KOs) had the knockout power and a win over Shields back in their amateur days. They’d been exchanging words for years, and finally got back in the ring to settle their score.
Check out the round-by-round breakdown of the main event below.
Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall
Round 1: Marshall runs straight out to take center ring. Lots of feinting early, Marshall leading with the jab and Shields trying to counter over it. They exchange in the middle of the round and Shields turns Marshall and tees off with a combination. They reset, Marshall pushes her back again and lands a couple but Shields spins out. Back to the corner though and Marshall is having success pushing her there. Lively round, 10-9 Shields
Claressa Shields comes out throwing everything in RD1 #ShieldsMarshall pic.twitter.com/xlklj2r2KP
— Ring Of Highlights (@ringofhighlight) October 15, 2022
Round 2: Shields opens the round making a clear effort to stay in the center more, but it might not be a wise decision as a right hand sends her staggering back to the ropes. She’s not dazed but she didn’t love it. Shields’ defence is good, but she’s taking shots too. Her jab is landing well, though. Both fighters working the body as the round continues. Back into the middle of the ring and Shields starting to push her opponent back. A strong finish for Shields but 10-9 Marshall, 19-19
Round 3: Marshall opens the round much more jerky and feint-heavy, Shields steps off for a moment to figure it out. Soon back to the middle though and she’s starting to time Marshall’s head movement, catching her as she rolls from side to side. Marshall is definitely feeling the bodywork too. 10-9 Shields, 29-28
Round 4: Marshall is struggling with the punch variety of shields. She’s in this, her footwork and stance switches are opening up angles for some good shots, but Shields’ volume and moves upstairs-downstairs are getting it done. Marshall finishes the round pushing the tempo, but the handspeed difference is showing and she’s struggling to live with this tempo. 10-9 Shields, 39-37
Round 5: They open the round feinting, then Marshall pushes Shields to the ropes and lands a good bodyshot that momentarily slows Shields down. They get back to the middle though and we’re back to high-volume exchanges where Shields has the upper hand. The Brit isn’t giving in by any means, and Shields seems to have slowed for the moment. She ends the round with a few hard counters, though. Really good fight. 10-9 Shields, 49-46
Round 6: A new adjustment for Marshall now- rather than feitn her way in she’s just going gloves up and using her size to try to bully Shields. It’s working for now, getting a few solid shots in including some bodywork which is clearly affecting Shields. The uppercuts are there fore her too, but Shields find some space for work of her own. Marshall’s best round so far. 10-9 Marshall, 58-56 Shields
Round 7: Shields’ footwork has really slowed, and the volume of punches is dropping off too. She’s starting to rely on her head-movement to defuse Marshall, but the physicality and some crafty angles in close are making that difficult. She fights back some towards the end of the round, this is no collapse, but 10-9 Marshall, 67-66 Shields
NO DELAYS.
All action early from London. #ShieldsMarshall pic.twitter.com/zA5FokDdSk
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 15, 2022
Round 8: Shields opens the round having seemed to have figured out some of the timing, and is having some success making Marshall fall into her punches, uppercut lefts and overhand rights stinging her opponent. The second half of the round sees her back to the ropes, but she quickly comes off and draws her into a big overhand. 10-9 Shields, 77-75
Round 9: the torrid pace continues. Marshall has the range a bit better now, lands a solid bodyshot that stops Shields for a second. She spins off and returns to the middle, but is pushed back again, Marshall’s bodyshots effective. Shields is catching her sharp to the head though, Marshall’s head movement the far more basic of the two. She takes the round though, just about. 10-9 Marshall, 86-85 Shields
Round 10: Now mucking around in the final round, and both leaving it all in the ring. Shields has no intention of letting herself be bullied out of it here. Holding center ring throughout the round, refusing to be pushed to the corner, and landing effectively to body and head. They slug it out to finish. 10-9 Shields, 96-94.
Bloody Elbow has it 96-94 to Shields
Instant classic!
Drop those scorecards below ?? pic.twitter.com/UVteetgsZo
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 15, 2022
Official scores 96-94, 97-93, 97-93 Shields
Main Card (2 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO middleweight championship: Claressa Shields def. Savannah Marshall 96-94, 97-93, 97-93
IBF, WBC and WBO super featherweight championship: Alycia Baumgardner def. Mikaela Mayer 96-95, 96-95, 93-97
Welterweight: Lauren Price TKO-4 Timea Belik
Lightweight: Caroline Dubois def Milena Koleva TKO-5
Featherweight: Kariss Artingstall def. Marina Sakharov 60-54 (ref’s card)
Flyweight: Ginny Fuchs def Gemma Ruegg 60-54 (ref’s card)
Super welterweight: April Hunter def. Erica Juana Gabriela Alvarez 60-54 (ref’s card)
Super bantamweight: Sarah Liegmann def Bec Connolly 59-55 (ref’s card)
Super flyweight: Shannon Ryan def. Buchra El Quaissi 40-36 (ref’s card)
Lightweight: Georgia O’Connor def Joyce Van Ee 40-36 (ref’s card)
Featherweight: Ebonie Jones vs. Jasmina Nad