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Eddie Hearn, promoter for Savannah Marshall, is working hard to make a unification clash with two-time Olympic gold medal winner Claressa Shields.
On Saturday night at Copper Box Arena in London, Marshall became the first woman to stop Maria Lindberg in 29 fights as she retained her WBO middleweight world title with a third round knockout.
The defending champion was far too powerful for her Swedish challenger, who stepped in as a late replacement for Femke Hermans.
A powerful right hand dumped Lindberg heavily to the canvas in the second round, with the bell preventing Marshall from finishing the fight.
It was a brief reprieve as Marshall’s stinging right toppled Lindberg again and she wisely stayed down for the count in the third.
A fight with Shields is a big focus for both Hearn and Marshall.
Marshall won a decision over a 17-year-old Shields in the amateur ranks.
Hearn feels confident that Marshall will score a knockout victory over Shields.
“We’re making good progress on a Shields fight. Her teams know how dangerous the fight is and they want a lot of money, but I’m prepared to pay them,” Hearn said.
“There is no way Shields goes ten rounds with Savannah Marshall. Savannah is the only girl to beat Shields in her entire life. She beat her in the amateurs and she will do in the professionals.
“Shields is one of the top three female pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but she is wide open and can’t stand up to Savannah’s power. Savannah is the hardest pound-for-pound puncher in women’s boxing. Marshall vs. Shields is superfight that can headline in the USA or England, and I will do everything to try and make it.”