Savannah Marshall has said that tactics were to blame in her loss to Claressa Shields.
The pair faced off in a packed O2 Arena with over 2 million people tuning in to the broadcast that saw the undisputed middleweight title fight top a bill of all-female scraps.
Shields won via unanimous decision after ten action-packed rounds, keeping her undefeated record in tact while handing Marshall the first loss of her pro career
She told Sky Sports her and trainer, Peter Fury, took a gamble that didn’t pay off.
“Me and Peter took a gamble with the tactics. I took the fight to Claressa, I was on the front foot, I put her on the back foot. And unfortunately it didn’t work out for me.
Like I said, it was a gamble and I still believe I can outbox Claressa. I really do.”
Fury, who has guided Marshall’s career since she turned professional, was ‘not her favourite’ person for months after the fight, although she did share the blame with him and smiled as she said it.
“I feel like I honestly can outbox Claressa long, I really can. Like I said the tactics were totally going against my strengths. I think that’s one for Peter Fury.”
“It’s a team effort so I can’t point the blame, but he hasn’t been my favourite person over the past couple of months.”
Marshall is keen to attempt to right those wrongs in a rematch with Shields, but it may not be next up.
She told Sky Sports that a fight with undisputed super middleweight champion, Franchon Crews Dezurn, is angling for a fight and that she just might get one.
Capturing the belts in the weight class above Shields could add another element of intrigue to the pairs’ second fight.