There were numerous heated verbal exchanges between Savannah Marshall and Claressa Shields at today’s official pre-fight press conference in London as the two faced a room packed with media ahead of this weekend’s long-awaited Undisputed female middleweight championship contest.

Claressa Shields: “When I win on Saturday night, it will be a great victory. This isn’t my first time in a fight for the undisputed championship, this isn’t my first time having a hard training camp, and it isn’t my first time being the underdog. I can’t wait to have the opportunity to silence the doubters about Savannah’s alleged knockout power…I’ve never seen someone live off an amateur win for 10 years of their career. I’ve dominated this sport for 10 years. I won the Olympics, then I won it again. Then I turned professional and won world titles from my 4th fight. Champions are not made, they’re born. And I was born to do this.”

Savannah Marshall: “I’ve always respected Claressa, but she doesn’t like that I have an opinion. I saw her box and I thought it was a diabolical performance. She ran down people’s throats that she was going to get a spectacular knockout, and I watched it for 10 rounds, drifted off, and told her how I felt…I’ve never said I’m going to knock her out, I’ve said I’m going to hurt her. She’s a bully and she’s going to wake up on the canvas. I can’t wait to take all those belts off her and become the undisputed middleweight champion.”

Co-headline fighters Mikaela Mayer and Alycia Baumgardner struck a surprisingly respectful tone, contrasting the insults they’ve been swapping on social media, and in person, throughout the build-up to their contest on Saturday. However, the pair couldn’t resist exchanging heatedly during their face-off.

Mikaela Mayer: “If this has to be a dog fight, I’ll win a dog fight. If it has to be a boxing match, I’ll win a boxing match. I can beat her any way the fight goes. I’m going to take her into deep waters, I’m going to take her to places she’s never been before.”

Alycia Baumgardner: “This Saturday is really going to mark my spot in this sport, who I am as an athlete. I was born for this, made for this, and this is my moment.”