Claressa Shields v Savannah Marshall: Epic offers hope when boxing needs it

1 year ago 52

In a period wherever boxing has been deed with haymakers of its ain creation, Claressa Shields' sellout rubric combat against Savannah Marshall offered crushed for optimism.

The athletics needs that boost, particularly arsenic the fallout continues from Conor Benn's failed drugs test, and the calling disconnected of his bout with Chris Eubank Jr.

As UK Anti-Doping investigates Benn's affirmative trial for the banned substance Clomifene - described by promoters arsenic "adverse analytical uncovering for hint amounts of a fertility drug" - boxing is facing a batch of questions.

Is determination capable cause testing? Are the British Boxing Board of Control acceptable arsenic arbitrators of the sport? Is the athletics yet tally connected the accidental of its biggest paymasters?

Let's not hide too, the revelations earlier this twelvemonth surrounding Daniel Kinahan, and his connections with boxing.

Kinahan - a well-known fig successful boxing circles - was deed with worldwide fiscal sanctions by the United States successful April for alleged cause trafficking and wealth laundering. There are nary allegations of wrongdoing against immoderate boxers who person worked with him.

The illness of MTK Global - the promotion institution co-founded by Kinahan, which helium has said helium chopped ties with successful 2017 - and the scattering of hundreds of their fighters raised superior questions astir the modular of governance successful boxing.

Allegations of corruption and bribery tally truthful heavy that the athletics could beryllium ousted from the Olympics. The pro crippled endure from akin questions of credibility, often connected the biggest stage. When Jack Catterall mislaid to then-undisputed light-welterweight champion Josh Taylor successful February the BBBofC were forced to launch an investigation into the integrity of a combat astir everyone scored the different way.

But connected Saturday, successful a sold-out arena, we saw the truest look of wherefore boxing is simply a athletics to beryllium loved and cherished - and worthy warring for.

'That's what we privation to spot much successful boxing'

'GWOAT' Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall connected pushing women's boxing

In the main event, 2 elite champions went toe-to-toe. Both Marshall and Shields were undefeated successful 12 pro fights.

And determination is simply a bitter rivalry betwixt them, dating backmost a decade, to erstwhile Marshall bushed Shields astatine amateur level.

Since then, determination person been immoderate heated exchanges online and successful person. Finally, they got unneurotic successful the ringing again. And it happened erstwhile some women are astatine their peak.

That is simply a uncommon occurrence. Just this month, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury failed to hold terms implicit a heavyweight fight, perchance the biggest successful British history. In boxing, the champion warring the champion is ne'er a guarantee.

"When you're unifying fights and you're successful superior fights, fights tin extremity either way. These are wherefore we request to spot much of these types of fight," Marshall's manager Peter Fury said.

Shields v Marshall: Origins of a ten-year feud

The combat brought a career-best show retired of Shields who has reached unprecedented heights arsenic a 13-time satellite champion. Marshall fell short, but proved herself a bankable star.

"This was a large fight. They some stepped up and fought retired their skin, some of them, and they some tested each different to the max," Fury said.

"Savannah showed she had a true, warring heart. That's what we privation to spot much successful boxing. Get stuck in, person a fight. Blood and guts, that's what we privation to see. That's what I'm successful boxing for."

'One of the top nights successful boxing history'

Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall talk aft their fight

There was nary mind-boggling scorecards, nary doping whispers and yet nary controversy. The 96-94, 97-93, 97-93 scorecards were rightly successful Shields' favour.

It had each the ingredients of a grudge match, but neither women overstepped a enactment truthful often ignored successful verbal exchanges. When the hostilities were over, Shields and Marshall saluted each other's talents.

All the absorption was connected the competitors and exchanges successful the ring. It was a good illustration of what the athletics has to offer.

"I'm disappointed that I came up short, but if it's done thing for pistillate boxing, if it's pushed the sport, if it's made young boys and girls privation to get successful the gym and springiness it a spell past I'm blessed with that," Marshall said successful the post-fight property conference.

It is besides different illustration that elite women athletics not lone merit the spotlight, but tin thrive successful it.

Promoter Ben Shalom said repeatedly this week helium and broadcast spouse Sky Sports were told they were huffy to adjacent see an all-female paper astatine a 20,000-seater arena.

"It volition truly spell down arsenic 1 of the top nights successful boxing past due to the fact that of what it means for women's boxing," Shalom said.

"I'm inactive amazed 2 women managed to merchantability retired the O2 Arena, due to the fact that astir men don't adjacent bash that," Marshall added.

Just arsenic Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano did six months agone astatine Madison Square Garden, Shields v Marshall showcased boxing astatine its champion astatine a clip erstwhile the athletics is successful request of defenders.

"This was a large nighttime of boxing," Shields said.

"When radical said women's boxing didn't person fans, erstwhile they said women's boxing didn't merchantability retired venues, cipher would ticker it - we got watched by millions of radical today, fought successful beforehand of 20,000 and we enactment connected a large fight."

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