After her spectacular victory over Savannah Marshall to become undisputed middleweight champion last October, American star Claressa Shields is not expected to box Natasha Jonas or rematch Marshall in her next fight
Friday 24 March 2023 15:54, UK
Claressa Shields will not face Savannah Marshall or Natasha Jonas in her next fight, promoter Ben Shalom confirmed.
Shields became undisputed middleweight champion after she won her spectacular fight with Savannah Marshall in October of last year.
"We offered her a rematch in the UK, she doesn't want to fight in the UK which is fair enough," promoter Ben Shalom told Sky Sports.
Shields has also been linked with a move down to super-welterweight to return to Britain to box unified 154lb champion Natasha Jonas. But that will not be Shields' next fight.
"I think that they're looking at an option in the US, hopefully on Sky. It won't be Jonas and it won't be Marshall," Shalom said.
"We made the offer that we needed to for her to come back for the rematch and it was turned down. I think the general point is she doesn't want to fight in the UK next."
Shalom however is still hopeful the Shields-Marshall rematch can happen further down the line.
Hartlepool's Marshall has other options herself, that could see her push her another title fight in the division above, up at super-middleweight, before renewing hostilities with her great rival Shields.
"It will happen. To be fair she [Shields] feels it isn't the right time," Shalom said. "It's not the natural time for it.
"Maybe the rematch is at 168lbs where it's a bit more even."
He added: "We are likely to announce a big fight for Savannah in the next week."
Shields' team have previously made Natasha Jonas, the unified WBO, IBF and WBC super-welterweight champion, an offer to box, but Jonas' management did not feel it was substantial enough for the magnitude of that fight.
Jonas is one of the UK's most in-form fighters. Earlier this month she became the first woman to win the British Boxing Board of Control's Boxer of the Year award.
Shalom expects Jonas to box again in May or June.
"She will have another fight," he said. "We think we've got a big fight for her. Probably announce that within the next week.
"We will have big news for both of them [Marshall and Jonas] in the next week or so."
