Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall will take women's boxing, and Marshall's career, to another level declares trainer Peter Fury; watch Shields vs Marshall live on Sky Sports on September 10
Thursday 14 July 2022 15:00, UK
Savannah Marshall’s showdown with American rival Claressa Shields, live on Sky Sports on September 10, will see her career skyrocket, predicts trainer Peter Fury.
"I'm very pleased for Savannah, she's worked all her life from being a child, 12 years of age, to be unifying all the belts, and against a top fighter as well, double [Olympic] gold medallist. It's perfect. Stories are made like this," he told Sky Sports.
"What it's going to do for little kids growing up to see this. It's an amazing, amazing achievement. Savannah's career is just about to go lift off."
After two days' of media engagements this week, with both fighters trading verbal barbs, Fury is eager to return to the real work of training camp.
The pre-fight talk, Fury said, "To me it means absolutely zero. I wasn't really listening to what Claressa was really saying. It's all a bit of bravado, it's excitement, it is what it is. It means nothing to me. The main thing for me and Savannah is strictly down to business and getting the job done. We know what's in front of her and we're silently confident."
He is under no illusions how intense the fight will prove to be when Marshall and Shields box to decide the undisputed middleweight world championship.
"Listen it's a unification fight, it ain't going to be a 'tippy tappy' trying to just steal it on points. Get in there. For a unified championship, you've got to take it off the other one. It's going to be blood and guts I'm afraid. That's what fight fans want to see and that's what we're going to get," Marshall's trainer said.
"Blood, snot and fireworks. Nothing else."
Fury has been credited with bringing the best out of Marshall as a professional. But he played down his input.
"Yeah, she's quiet but it's a true saying - you can have the best trainers in the world, you can't turn a donkey into a race horse. She had it there, all I've done is pull it out of her. It was already there. That's what we're for," Fury said. "She's a fantastic talent. I've enjoyed every minute of the journey with her.
"Listen if I wish her all the best it's an understatement. I want her to win. I believe she can win this fight, otherwise I wouldn't be there and very excited about it."
He thinks this event on September 10 at the O2 Arena in London will be game-changing for women's boxing.
"I think it's massive what Sky and BOXXER have done here. We've got a unified world middleweight championship as the main event and we've got world titles underneath it and all women boxers. It just shows you how women's boxing is coming on," Fury said.
"It's going to be level with men in no time, on the paydays, everything. It's going to get there and I think what Sky and BOXXER are doing here is the perfect example to give women's boxing another massive platform."
The biggest fight in the history of women's boxing - Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall - is live on Sky Sports on Saturday September 10. Be part of history and buy tickets for the London showdown here.
