Savannah Marshall takes on Femke Hermans in Saturday's WBO middleweight title fight in Newcastle, live on Sky Sports; Florian Marku also takes on Chris Jenkins, while Brad Rea returns to the ring amid his rise to prominence.
Friday 1 April 2022 18:34, UK
Savannah Marshall cut a commanding figure as she made weight comfortably ahead of her clash with Femke Hermans after tempers flared between Florian Marku and Chris Jenkins at Friday's face-off.
Hartlepool fighter Marshall weighed in the heavier of the two at 11st 5lbs to her opponent's 11st 4lbs 8oz as she prepares to defend her WBO middleweight world championship.
But it was the co-main event that provided the weigh-in's flashpoint as Marku (10st 6lbs 8oz) and Jenkins (10st 6lbs) had to be split by security after the entertaining Albanian shoved his opponent during the face-off.
Claressa Shields was present in Newcastle ahead of a prospective undisputed showdown with Marshall this summer, should the Silent Assassin overcome Hermans at the weekend.
As has been her approach throughout the build-up, Marshall is looking no further than the Belgian.
"I'm feeling really good, I've had a tough camp, it's been gruelling, the results should show Saturday," said Marshall.
"I don't box for Claressa, I box for myself, I don't box to impress her.
"Femke is a tough opponent, I've done two camps on Femke after the fight was cancelled first time so I'm looking to put on a good performance."
It was a composed and assured Marshall that took to the scales before towering over her opponent with belt on shoulder and soaking up the spotlight and attention in a way she may not have earlier in her career.
"I'm a woman now, I'm not a kid anymore," she joked.
"I've learned that it's all part and parcel of it, what's the point in working hard if you can't show people your skills.
"Everybody has spoken about Claressa for the past four of five years, it's nothing new to me."
Shields, who only arrived in the UK around an hour-and-a-half before the weigh-in, will be ringside on Saturday in what could serve as the latest instalment of their war of words following a heated exchange in Cardiff in February.
The American has made no secret of her desire to take on Marshall, and reiterated her willingness to fight on UK soil, where she enjoyed success in winning gold at the 2012 Olympic Games.
"I'm hoping she wins (against Hermans), that's the fight I want, that's the reason I'm here," said Shields. "The 160 division is my division so I'm going to send her back to 168.
"I look forward to fighting her here. I won the Olympics here in 2012 and I just like fighting here."
Marshall was pictured jokingly yawning while ringside for Shields' victory over Ema Kozin last time out, so will we see the tables turn at the weekend?
"I don't have to get in her head, I'm the better fighter, I'm the three-time division world champion, two-time world champion, two-time Olympic champion," said Shields.
"I thought what she did was classless. For me to train so hard to win my fight, to come over here to her home turf and actually step towards the fight, it should be more gratitude because I don't have to fight her.
"There are plenty of girls that are ahead of Savannah Marshall that I could fight. It's the biggest grudge match in women's boxing and I look forward to having it.
"But is she deserving of the fight? Sure. She wouldn't even have the belt if I didn't fight at 154 for the undisputed title. Am I going to be disrespectful like that? I don't know. But I am here to sell a fight."
Marshall remains the only fighter to ever beat Shields, her victory dating back to their amateur days in 2012.
However, Shields believes she has already made amends for the defeat.
"I righted it three months later when I won the Olympics in her home country," she said. "I righted it again when I won the Olympics again.
"The only thing that bothers me is her saying everything I've done in the pros I would not have done if she was given the chance to. We all get to pick who we want to fight. If she would have picked to fight against those girls who were knockout artists, the Christina Hammers of the world, who would she be?
"Her whole claim to fame is beating me when I was 17 years old. I beat a whole lot of girls in the amateurs and I don't yell their name."
