Claressa Shields’ greatest soundbites as ‘the female Ali’ prepares for undisputed world title fight with Savannah Marshall | Boxing News
As Claressa Shields edges closer to a potential super-fight with Savannah Marshall, it is clear that both women have a way with words.
The unbeaten American has had some memorable moments, both inside and outside the squared circle.
Here are some of the Michigan native’s greatest quotes…
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Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom is targeting this summer for the blockbuster fight between Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall
Shields on… Savannah Marshall
“I sense sarcasm,” Shields said about February’s confrontation with Marshall. “I didn’t sense anything serious about her.
“She said all that because people were there. But she didn’t feel it.
“She isn’t scared. But she was lying to herself. I know she is lying too.
“She may have punching power. But could Kozin hit me? There is a difference in speed and IQ.
“She will get it even worse than Kozin because I don’t like her.
“She’s so disrespectful.
“It is a sign of weakness.
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Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall had to separated as a war of words erupted between the pair in Cardiff following Shields’ unanimous decision win over Ema Kozin
“No Olympic medal? One weight class? One belt? Please. Quit playing with me,” she continued.
“Everybody considers me the ‘GWOAT’. I came here to prove it.
“I have a hard time taking disrespect from people.
“I haven’t been impressed with any of her fights. She fights welterweights who had one week’s notice.
“They gave her easy opponents. She got a few knockouts. It has fed her ego.”
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Claressa Shields says she is not Femke Hermans and Savannah Marshall will need a lot more than power to beat her
“Congrats, that’s what you’re supposed to do,” Shields told Sky Sports after Marshall’s win over Femke Hermans on Saturday.
“I said that she would do that with Femke. I’m not Femke Hermans, I’m not Hannah Rankin, I’m not any of those girls she fought against.
“As much punch power as she has, I’m sorry to tell you, if that’s what I got to look forward to, it’s going to be a wipe out.”
“She’s [Marshall] going to have trouble with me and she’s definitely not going to knock me out.
“It’s just not going to take her one big punch to deal with me inside the ring. It’s going to take a lot.
“Femke was able to make her miss and I’m 10 times faster than Femke, so what do you think I’m going to do?”
Shields on…her dynamic approach
“I have 110 different gameplans to make sure that I come out on top in every fight.
“If boxing doesn’t work, I’ll bang. If I have to mix it up? If I’ve got to be like Muhammad Ali or like Mike Tyson? I know how to switch it up.
I’m like ‘She’Â Ali. I’m the female Muhammad Ali., because I can speak what’s on my mind, 100% every day.
“I love boxing. I not only love to train, but I love to box and win. I’m a fan of boxing. So when it comes to what people want to see, I’m a resemblance of that.
“I’m like ‘She’ Ali. I’m the female Muhammad Ali, because I can speak what’s on my mind, 100% every day. And I’m a work horse. I train very very hard. And I love people.”
Shields on…sparring with men
“I am a big, strong woman and I spar against men daily. I grew up in the gym sparring men.
“People might say: ‘She is a girl’. I don’t know what goes down in the UK, if the girls only spar the girls, but I barely spar against women because I mess them up.
“When I spar against guys? If they blink, they will be waking up. They will get dropped with a body shot. They will get hurt.
“When I spar men we spar three minutes. The guys stand there and want to fight me.
“Girls hold me, cover up, try to survive, they don’t come to win. They want to say: ‘I lasted 10 rounds with the GWOAT’.
“It is hard to knock out somebody who just tries to survive. It’s easier to catch someone slipping who comes in aggressively.
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Claressa Shields dominated Ema Kozin in her last bout
“There’s not a woman in this world that can beat me if we put on a pair of gloves and we fight. I’ve accomplished so much.
“A woman can beat me the day I stop working hard. I work so hard in the gym, it would be stupid of me to doubt myself. For me, I know that I’m unbeatable. You can put me in there with whoever.”
Shields on…her hometown
“If you can make it in Flint, you can make it anywhere.
“I don’t worry where I go. People tell me: ‘You’re going to Albuquerque or to Detroit? It’s dangerous…’
“I tell them: ‘I am from Flint’.
“The mentality of the people in Flint? We grow up with instincts to watch our backs. We know how somebody looks if they are trying to get you. We are always ready to fight.
“Flint put that inside of me.”
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Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall exchanged heated words after Marshall’s impressive KO win against Femke Hermans on Saturday
Shields on…her rise
“Everybody kept saying I wasn’t going to get any fights. And they wouldn’t put me on TV and they don’t respect women’s boxing.
“But I also turned professional with two Olympic gold medals and that’s something that no other American boxer has ever done. With that, I’ve been getting a lot of respect.”
