Shields claims GWOAT status on big night for women's boxing
Living up to her self-proclaimed title of the GWOAT — the greatest woman of all time — Claressa Shields outmaneuvered her longtime rival Savannah Marshall in a dramatic fight that showcased the best of women's boxing on a significant night for the sport.
Shields, a native of Flint, Michigan, who has worked her way up in the male-dominated world of combat sports, was crowned the undisputed middleweight champion Saturday night after a unanimous decision victory that extended her undefeated professional record to 13-0.
The headliner of an all-women boxing event at the O2 Arena in London, the fight was an entertaining affair fueled by vicious exchanges and a wild pace, and it delighted the raucous, capacity crowd. And although Marshall proved to be a formidable opponent, it was Shields who emerged victorious after dominating the first half of the bout with her technical skills and clean combinations — a fitting end to a night in which a women's card stood out amid a crowded schedule of showcase boxing events, the others headlined by men.
“It's not just a special moment for me. It's a special moment for women's boxing,” a tearful Shields said after the bout. “Women's boxing has been around for so many years, and there are so many greats who came before us. But here we are in front of 20,000 fans in London at the O2 Arena.
“And I think this is fight of the year!” she said.
The Shields-Marshall rivalry dates to the 2012 amateur world championships, when Marshall handed Shields her only loss. Marshall went on to win the world championship a few days later, but Shields won the Olympic gold at the 2012 London Games as Marshall was eliminated early in the tournament.
In the 10 years since that first meeting, Shields has climbed to the summit of women's boxing, winning two consecutive Olympic golds and becoming the only boxer ever to hold all four major world titles — World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council,
the World Boxing Organization and the International Boxing Federation — simultaneously in two weight classes. Marshall, who grappled with social anxiety and considered retiring from boxing before turning pro in 2017, entered this fight, like Shields, with a 12-0 record, but also with a clear height advantage and credibility as a bitter foe.
Shields expressed concern, then relief, as the ring announcer declared the score cards, 96-94, 9793, 97-93, in her favor. She found Marshall in her corner and told her she had appreciated each of their 10 rounds together.
“That was definitely the hardest fight of my career,” Shields told Marshall.
The bout had been scheduled for Sept. 10 but was postponed after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. To note the British monarch's 70-year reign, the WBC on Saturday awarded Shields a purple “Elizabethan Belt,” which featured flags of the United Kingdom and the United States, and decorations of the queen.
Shields said after the bout that Marshall was one of the toughest fighters she had faced. “She's a hard puncher,” Shields said. “But I'm the better fighter 10 years later.”
In the other main event, Alycia Baumgardner handed Mikaela Mayer her first professional defeat to become the unified IBF, WBC and WBO superfeatherweight champion. Baumgardner won by the narrowest of margins — a split decision in which two judges scored the fight, 96-95, in her favor — to improve her pro record to 13-1.
The fight was close: Mayer showed superior technical boxing while Baumgardner landed significantly more power punches.
“I think I landed the cleaner shots, the harder shots,” Baumgardner said when asked whether she believed she had done enough to earn the victory. “I was the harder puncher. I dug deep.”
The two fighters spent the past few weeks trading shots on social media and had to be separated by security after almost coming to blows at Friday's weigh-in ceremony. Despite the heated buildup and close fight, Baumgardner insisted she planned to move on to bigger challenges.
“I ain't giving no rematch,” she said.
Earlier, British Olympic gold medalist Lauren Price outclassed her opponent with a technical knockout in the fourth round, while Caroline Dubois, the younger sister of British boxer Daniel Dubois, earned a fifth-round stoppage against Milena Koleva.
The Shields-Marshall card came hours before two men's events that also competed for attention from boxing fans.
Devin Haney outclassed George Kambosos Jr. for a second time this year to retain his undisputed lightweight title in Melbourne, Australia. Haney, a 23-year-old American, won by unanimous decision, with one judge awarding him a 118-109 score and the other two judges rendering a 118-110 verdict.
Then at Barclays Center, former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder punctuated his return to in-ring action with a blistering first-round knockout of Robert Helenius. The impressive finish — a right hook that dropped Helenius with seconds left in the round — marked the American's first fight since being knocked out twice by Tyson Fury.
In a postmatch interview, Wilder, 37 of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, showed interest in a bout against heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, as well as other top contenders who can handle his intimidating power.
“Deontay Wilder is back,” Wilder said in the ring. “The excitement in the heavyweight division is back.”