by Keith Idec

PATERSON, New Jersey – Shadasia Green would gladly give Savannah Marshall an opportunity to win back one of the super middleweight titles the hard-hitting Brit abandoned to launch her mixed martial arts career.

Marshall, of Hartlepool, England, is one of the three opponents Green has targeted now that she has won the WBO 168-pound crown Marshall once owned. Green informed Boxing News following a ceremony Thursday during which she was honored in her hometown of Paterson, New Jersey, that she also would welcome opportunities to face three-division champion and pound-for-pound star Claressa Shields and WBC super middleweight champ Franchon Crews Dezurn, who gave Green her lone professional loss 11 months ago.

If Shields (15-0, 3 KOs) isn’t interested in moving back up to the 168-pound division, facing Marshall (13-1, 10 KOs) would likely make the most financial sense for Green (15-1, 11 KOs), who would gladly make a transatlantic trip to meet Marshall in England.

“I love going to the UK,” Green told Boxing News. “I know it would be her home [territory], but I’ll make some of her fans my fans.”

Green boxed before more fans than she could’ve ever envisioned last Friday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Much of the announced crowd of 72,300 that attended the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson card came to the venue relatively early and witnessed Green’s 10-round, split-decision victory over Toronto’s Melinda Watpool on the undercard.

The 35-year-old Green beat Watpool (7-1, 2 KOs) on the scorecards of judges Lisa Giampa (97-93) and Jesse Reyes (96-94). Judge Jeremy Hayes credited Watpool with a 96-94 victory.

The WBO belt Green won was unclaimed because Marshall gave it up. Marshall most recently competed in MMA on June 8 in Newcastle, England, where she stopped Mirela Vargas late in the first round as part of a PFL Europe card. Marshall challenged Shields, who won their middleweight championship boxing contest by unanimous decision in October 2022, to an MMA match after her technical-knockout victory over Vargas.

Green hopes, however, that Marshall returns to boxing to fight her if Shields goes in a different direction.

“I would love that fight,” Green said. “Savannah Marshall is a great fighter, great champion. That fight makes a financial difference. I think we could bring a humongous crowd. Two power punchers, she’s taller, of course, and I’m looking to display the best Shadasia Green there is. The best Shadasia Green can’t be beat.”

Marshall has only been beaten by Shields, a longtime target for Green. The Marshall rematch is more marketable for Shields, a Flint, Michigan, native who hasn’t shown much legitimate interest in fighting Green.

“I’m sure it would have to make sense for her,” Green, who is represented by Paul’s MVP Promotions, said of Shields. “You know, of course, she’s in that time frame in the sport where she’s been around and it has to make sense for her financially. I think she would entertain it. MVP [Promotions] is really doing big things for women’s boxing. Look what Jake just did. Artur Beterbiev just called out Jake Paul. That’s crazy. So now it’s like he beat Tyson, and with those record-breaking numbers, what MVP and Nakisa [Bidarian, Paul’s business partner] and Jake did [last] Friday night is crazy.

“The only person who came close to doing that is Floyd Mayweather. And if you look at Floyd Mayweather, he’s done it a couple of times with other fighters. So, basically, Jake is the new Floyd. Call him out, entertain that, because [you’re] gonna get paid. So, I think MVP can do that for women’s boxing as well.”

Savannah Marshall digs in during her super-middleweight title fight against Franchon Crews-Dezurn at AO Arena on July 1, 2023 in Manchester, England (by Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images)

Green got a second shot at becoming a world champion last week less than a year after Crews Dezurn (9-2, 2 KOs, 1 NC) beat her unanimously on points in their 10-round fight for the WBC super middleweight title last December 15 at Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Florida.

The 35-year-old Green, a former point guard for Division I Old Dominion University, is convinced a rematch versus Crews Dezurn would “be completely different” than her definitive defeat in their first fight.

“I didn’t use my job with Franchon,” Green said. “I stayed in the high guard way too long and I let her get off first. I wouldn’t give away the gameplan [for a rematch], but I would be much more active and do what I do best. I guarantee I would come out victorious.”