Claressa Shields topped Savannah Marshall in an epic showdown to reign supreme as the undisputed middleweight champion of the world as their long-running rivalry came to a thrilling conclusion.
The American star displayed scorching speed and supreme skills as he defeated Marshall by unanimous decision with scores of 96-94, 96-94 and 97-93.
It was fast, furious and everything an electrifying O2 Arena had hoped for, with Shields igniting the action with a rapid-fire combination to draw early blood to Marshall’s face, who immediately responded by supporting the north- americana in the corner with his power. .
Picture: Shields worried Marshall with his superior hand speed
The UK favorite enjoyed the best of the action in a frantic second, catching her opponent with strikes just before appearing to goad Shields as the pair continued to trade blows.
A perfectly timed jab from Shields would be met with a strong Marshall hook in a contest that looked like it could boil over at any moment.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Claressa Shields says she would welcome a rematch against Savannah Marshall in America after her unanimous decision win
The third saw Marshall send Shields back against the ropes to galvanize a restless and eager crowd before the pair closed out the round with simultaneous shots to the cheek.
A red-faced Marshall persisted to apply the pressure against an uncomfortable Shields, whose hand speed continued to get her out of trouble in one ring corner after another.
Image: Marshall responded with painful hooks from both hands
Marshall was suddenly rocked with a clinical right hand in the closing moments of the round to calm the British crowd.
As Marshall thought he had found a top opening, Shields was able to counter with a left hook before the pair traded near-identical hooks to bring a grin from ringside Peter Fury at the sight of an epic.
Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Savannah Marshall says Claressa Shields is a bright fighter but not as fast as she anticipated after her unanimous decision loss
The action didn’t slow down and when Shields appeared to be retreating to the corner, Marshall pounced in a moment of weakness with a brutal right hand in front of his team.
Shields recalled his own threat by squeezing through a slick jab in response, but Marshall proved capable of absorbing everything thrown at him. By now the fight had taken off thanks to the ferocity with which both had approached it, conditioning was starting to play a role and Marshall’s power was coming through with consistency.
Image: The two fighters continued to trade punches in the closing rounds
Shields stuck out his tongue defiantly, despite increasing pressure from Marshall, who slapped his gloves as he looked for a single punch.
The fight ended as it had begun, with both women unloading vicious combinations in a final assault, but Shields emerged victorious as she added the WBO title to her WBC, IBF and WBA belts.