Claressa Shields: ‘I Just Want To be Better Than Yesterday’

Claressa Shields is one of the best combat sports fighter the world has ever seen.

Shields will face one of her toughest challenges on September 10 against Savannah Marshall.

The bout takes place from The O2 London and will air live on ESPN+. The unified middleweight title will be on the line between the two.

Shields will look to avenge the only loss of her amateur career and end a long war of words with Marshall that has reached a boil in recent years and which stems from Marshall’s points victory over Shields in a 2012 amateur bout.

“I just want to be better than yesterday. That’s all it’s ever been for me. I’m already better than (Marshall),” Shields said. “I already have big accomplishments, gold medals, the wins and everything. It’s not really about her. Yes, she’s a good fighter and everything, and she holds one belt, but I hold 12. I don’t think about her when I’m training. Yes, we have a gameplan for (Marshall), but I’m just trying to be better than I was yesterday.”

While avenging that loss is important, it isn’t what is pushing Shields.

“I only lost in the amateurs in boxing. I’ve never lost in professional boxing. I’m undefeated,” she said. “I lost to her 10 years ago in the amateurs by six points. It was 14-8. But that really doesn’t bother me at all because I’ve been able to be successful after that. On the other hand, you’ve got (Marshall) who lost every tournament she was in after our fight, and in those same tournaments I won gold.

“So having one loss in the amateurs and being able to turn pro and do everything that I’ve done since, I don’t really care about (that loss). But I think it’s a great story and storyline, and I guess we’ve got history. She doesn’t like me. I don’t like her, and I’m looking forward to fighting in six weeks.”