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Video: Claressa Shields talks MMA return, Cris Cyborg’s boxing debut, Amanda Nunes and more.
Claressa Shields speoke to MMA Junkie and other media about her upcoming bout against Savannah Marshall on Sept. 10, her return to MMA, Cris Cyborg’s boxing debut, a potential boxing match with Amanda Nunes, and more.
Video: Claressa Shields talks MMA return, Cris Cyborg’s boxing debut, Amanda Nunes and more.
Claressa Shields speoke to MMA Junkie and other media about her upcoming bout against Savannah Marshall on Sept. 10, her return to MMA, Cris Cyborg’s boxing debut, a potential boxing match with Amanda Nunes, and more.
Claressa Shields on Savannah Marshall: “The truth is she’s light-years behind me.”
The only blemish on Claressa Shields’ boxing record happened a decade ago, when Shields was a 17-year-old amateur, but it’s back in the news.
That’s because the two-division professional titleholder will be traveling to face her lone conqueror – Savannah Marshall – on Sept. 10 at O2 Arena in London, England, Marshall’s home country.
Never mind that Shields rebounded from the loss to Marshall in May 2012 by winning a gold medal in the Olympics later that year (while Marshall went out in the quarterfinals) and has become one of the biggest stars in the sport.
The long-ago loss is a hot topic of conversation going into their rematch as professionals, although it’s not as important to Shields as it seems to be to others.
“I only lost in the amateurs in boxing,” Shields said. “I’ve never lost in professional boxing. I’m undefeated. I lost to her 10 years ago in the amateurs by six points. It was 14-8. But that really doesn’t bother me at all because I’ve been able to be successful after that. On the other hand, you’ve got [Marshall], who lost every tournament she was in after our fight, and in those same tournaments I won gold.
“So having one loss in the amateurs and being able to turn pro and do everything that I’ve done since, I don’t really care about (that loss). But I think it’s a great story and storyline, and I guess we’ve got history.”
The fighters have exchanged heated face-to-face trash talk multiple times leading up to the fight, including at a press conference early this month.
However, Shields said Marshall has toned down her rhetoric in subsequent media events, which the American believes is a sign that her rival’s confidence is wavering.
“Marshall has been quiet since the press conference,” Shields said. “She was quiet during our sit together. I was thinking she would have more energy and more spite. But when we were face to face she tucked her tail, and that just showed me right there that she didn’t want this fight. She knows she’s not going to win this fight.
“I saw her do an interview where she had a black eye. So they’ve been trying to put her through all kinds of stuff in sparring to make sure she’s ready. But the truth is she’s lightyears behind me.”
Indeed, Shields doesn’t think much of Marshall’s accomplishments as a professional even though she’s unbeaten, suggesting that the quality of her opponents have a lot to do with her record.
“Marshall has fought a whole bunch of tomato cans,” Shields said. “She might be 12-0 with 10 knockouts, but if you go and look at her record, the majority of those girls had losing records (actually four did).”
She went on: “When we get inside the ring, she hasn’t done this before. She hasn’t fought for an undisputed championship. This will be my third time. So people love to build it up and trash talk, but she’s going to want to talk trash in the ring, and I’m just setting that to the side and focused on training to be better, faster, stronger, sharper and smarter.
“I think she knows that and that she’s in for a tough fight.”
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Claressa Shields on Savannah Marshall: “The truth is she’s light-years behind me.”
The only blemish on Claressa Shields’ boxing record happened a decade ago, when Shields was a 17-year-old amateur, but it’s back in the news.
That’s because the two-division professional titleholder will be traveling to face her lone conqueror – Savannah Marshall – on Sept. 10 at O2 Arena in London, England, Marshall’s home country.
Never mind that Shields rebounded from the loss to Marshall in May 2012 by winning a gold medal in the Olympics later that year (while Marshall went out in the quarterfinals) and has become one of the biggest stars in the sport.
The long-ago loss is a hot topic of conversation going into their rematch as professionals, although it’s not as important to Shields as it seems to be to others.
“I only lost in the amateurs in boxing,” Shields said. “I’ve never lost in professional boxing. I’m undefeated. I lost to her 10 years ago in the amateurs by six points. It was 14-8. But that really doesn’t bother me at all because I’ve been able to be successful after that. On the other hand, you’ve got [Marshall], who lost every tournament she was in after our fight, and in those same tournaments I won gold.
“So having one loss in the amateurs and being able to turn pro and do everything that I’ve done since, I don’t really care about (that loss). But I think it’s a great story and storyline, and I guess we’ve got history.”
The fighters have exchanged heated face-to-face trash talk multiple times leading up to the fight, including at a press conference early this month.
However, Shields said Marshall has toned down her rhetoric in subsequent media events, which the American believes is a sign that her rival’s confidence is wavering.
“Marshall has been quiet since the press conference,” Shields said. “She was quiet during our sit together. I was thinking she would have more energy and more spite. But when we were face to face she tucked her tail, and that just showed me right there that she didn’t want this fight. She knows she’s not going to win this fight.
“I saw her do an interview where she had a black eye. So they’ve been trying to put her through all kinds of stuff in sparring to make sure she’s ready. But the truth is she’s lightyears behind me.”
Indeed, Shields doesn’t think much of Marshall’s accomplishments as a professional even though she’s unbeaten, suggesting that the quality of her opponents have a lot to do with her record.
“Marshall has fought a whole bunch of tomato cans,” Shields said. “She might be 12-0 with 10 knockouts, but if you go and look at her record, the majority of those girls had losing records (actually four did).”
She went on: “When we get inside the ring, she hasn’t done this before. She hasn’t fought for an undisputed championship. This will be my third time. So people love to build it up and trash talk, but she’s going to want to talk trash in the ring, and I’m just setting that to the side and focused on training to be better, faster, stronger, sharper and smarter.
“I think she knows that and that she’s in for a tough fight.”
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Claressa Shields is open to dropping down in weight to face Katie Taylor for the right price.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.
***
Claressa Shields likes her curves and to risk losing them by dropping weight to fight Katie Taylor at 147 pounds, she’d need to see a whole lot of money.
“Katie Taylor is not the worry … the 147 is,” a victorious Shields said Friday night after making boxing history by shutting out Marie-Eve Dicaire to become the first two-division undisputed champion in the four-belt era.
“Katie is a great fighter,” Shields continued. “They gotta pay me a lot of money for me to lose my butt to go down to 147. At the end of the day, I’m a woman and that’s something I love about my body. I might not have no big breasts, but I have a nice butt.
“And I’ll lose that going to 147. So they need to come with that dough, and I’ll be seeing Katie at 147 as long as they come with at least $1 million. Talk to me nice.”
Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) fought at 154 pounds on Friday but she’s a natural 160-pounder. It might difficult for her to drop down to welterweight to take on Taylor. But Shields insists it’s a possibility.
While the self-proclaimed GWOAT (Greatest Woman of All Time) showed respect to Taylor, the undisputed lightweight champion, she didn’t give Savannah Marshall the same courtesy. Marshall outpointed Shields during a 2012 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships matchup, prior to Shields winning her first Olympic gold medal that summer. Shields is irked when Marshall’s name is even broached.
“Savannah Marshall can’t f— with me,” Shields said Friday night. “Let’s keep it real. You won a lucky decision when we were kids. Savannah Marshall knows that she cannot and will not ever be able to f— with me.”
While it remains to be seen whether the dream pairing of Shields and Taylor can ever happen, Shields will make her mixed martial arts debut in June with the Professional Fighters League.
After celebrating her 26th birthday March 17, Shields will fly out to Albuquerque, where she will continue to hone her MMA skills by working with the likes of Holly Holm and Jon Jones at Jackson Wink MMA Academy.
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