Shields vs Marshall & Mayer vs Baumgardner Preview

Shields vs Marshall & Mayer vs Baumgardner Preview

By Rachel Aylett

If boxing watchers were not won over to women’s boxing by the epic Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano fight this past April, it’s likely they never will be. That encounter still holds pole position as 2022’s fight of the year. However, I would urge anyone still in doubt to tune in to Sky TV’s Boxxer-promoted show this Saturday from the O2 in London, as it is possible that even that previously mentioned war could be outdone by two women’s fights for the ages.

The long-gestating middleweight title fight, undisputed no less, between three-belt holder Claressa Shields and the holder of the fourth belt, Savannah Marshall, is set fair to overshadow Deontay Wilder and Devin Haney, who are both also in action this weekend. I believe that these two women are in the throes of building a rivalry in the sport which will never be forgotten.  But it doesn’t stop there. 

In the chief support, which will have three of the four main belts on the line, Americans Mikaela Mayer and Alycia Baumgardner will throw down in an almost equally anticipated clash in the super-featherweight division.

But of course, it’s the undisputed middleweight title fight which leads the way. By now, everyone knows the story – that Savannah Marshall has been causing the self-named GWOAT an itch that she just hasn’t been able to scratch, due to the sole loss on Shields’ record, amateur or pro, back in 2012. At last, Shields finally has the chance to whitewash that nasty stain from her otherwise clean sheet.

It has to be said that Shields, love or hate her, has been great for the sport. Her outspokenness and swagger have brought attention to the women’s game only matched by the brilliant Katie Taylor. She is an amazing character who oozes confidence and, yes, charisma. In comparison, Marshall is far happier working in the shadows and letting her fists do the talking. This contrast in style between the two women only enhances the match-up.

Although both are 12-0 in the pro ring, Shields has faced consistently better opposition, including wins on her ledger against Marie Eve Dicaire, Franchon Crews, Hanna Gabriels and Christina Hammer. Apart from an early knockdown suffered against Gabriels, Claressa has sailed through this list, barely losing a round.  Marshall, on the other hand, has yet to be tested at all.

However, so impressive is Marshall every time she boxes, that she has convinced swathes of fans that she is going to beat Shields again. Indeed, Savannah has destroyed 10 of her 12 opponents inside the distance. She has shown the type of power that no other woman boxer can match.  Not only that, she does things with such ease – almost effortlessly. But she is not just a puncher, she has lovely footwork and movement and I believe this will be the key on Saturday night.

Marshall must not expect to knock out Shields and she is far too intelligent to do so. She needs to use her height and reach advantage to good effect and try to walk the American onto her counterpunches. All the while, the fierce and fearsome Shields will be applying pressure, trying to close the distance and stop Marshall from getting the leverage she needs on her shots. If she is able to do this, she will likely get the better of the action inside and bully her way to victory.

Another sign of what a great main event this is sees the oddsmakers almost unable to split them. Shields looks likely to step into the ring as a very slight favourite, but at the moment it’s 10/11 against 11/10 in her favour. It is a fight that is extremely hard to call with any real confidence. I am going to go with Marshall to win a hotly disputed and controversial decision after 10 pulsating rounds. This will inevitably lead to a rematch and then, of course, the almost obligatory trilogy fight.

An easy victory for either fighter will be a disaster for both of them. These two boxers need each other like bread needs butter. Despite some of the harsh words that have been spoken between the two, one senses that they have the utmost respect for one another. There are currently, and are unlikely to be for some time, no other fighters who could give either one a meaningful challenge. So, when all is said and done, they will likely end up making each other a heap of money, whilst participating in a series of fights which will live long in the memory.

Such is the animosity between the two combatants in the co-feature that in recent days it has taken a lot of the attention from the main event. Mikaela Mayer and Alycia Baumgardner have almost come to blows after several verbal clashes during fight week. It looks like a deliberate ploy from Alycia to get under Mayer’s skin and it has definitely worked. 

This is virtually an undisputed title fight as well, with only the relatively obscure Korean Choi Hyun-Mi having the WBA belt.  Mayer is another former Olympian, representing the U.S. in Rio 2016.  She was, until very recently, the only woman signed to Top Rank, and has been brought along slowly and steadily, in the Top Rank style, and now looks ready to bring to the boil.

Mayer had blown rather hot and cold in her pro career until being involved in a unification fight last year against France’s Maiva Hamadouche. Before that fight, Mayer may have been a slight favourite, but Hamadouche was considered a more than worthy opponent, a fighter who never stops attacking and throwing combinations. However, this first serious challenge brought out the best in Mikaela, who met fire with fire, stood toe to toe with Hamadouche and got the better of her. The first three rounds of this fight were like Hagler-Hearns all over again, but once Mayer had punched the threat out of her opponent, she boxed her way through to a clear victory.

Baumgartner is the only one of the four main fighters on the card not to have boxed in the Olympics. In fact, her best result in the amateurs was to get to the Golden Gloves final in 2014. She has done her best work in the pro game though, going 12-1 and scoring one of the most iconic knockouts in a British ring in recent memory.  Her one-punch still-standing-though-knocked-out victory over Terri Harper is unforgettable.  Prior to that fight, Baumgardner had done little of note, even losing to Christina Linardatou. But against Harper, she looked like a truly world-class boxer. 

Mayer needs to forget any animosity she feels towards her opponent and box carefully in the opening rounds. She should get on her jab and keep peppering away, building up a lead and making it difficult for her opponent to land her best shots. Mayer is a close but clear favourite with the bookies, as of writing is a 4/9 favourite, with Alycia at 2/1. The last time Mayer faced such a challenge, she showed her best. I am expecting another sensational performance from her, perhaps not quite stealing the show, but putting herself firmly alongside the big players in the women’s game. Mayer by very clear points decision.

Making up the undercard on this all-women night are very possibly the three best female prospects in the world. Multi-titled former amateur star and Olympian Caroline Dubois features in her fourth pro outing, and 2020 Olympic medallists Lauren Price and Karriss Artingstall both have their second pro fights. All three will be expectant that it will shortly be they who are topping such massive cards on Sky in the near future.

Huge credit for this show must go to Ben Shalom’s Boxxer promotional group, who are gradually closing the gap on Matchroom, the latter having been the major UK boxing promoter over the last few years. How galling it must be for Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn – a real champion of women’s boxing for years and who has done more than anyone in bringing it to the forefront, to have to sit back and watch this outstanding card on his old platform, Sky.

Photo Credit: Lawrence Lustig/Boxxer