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Shannon Briggs stops Marrone, resumes Klitschko crusade

Few fighters could match Briggs' flair for self-promotion. (Photo by Larry Marano/Getty Images)
Fighters Network
06
Sep
Shannon Briggs (L) on his way to a second-round knockout of Mike Marrone on Sept. 5. Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images.

Shannon Briggs (L) on his way to a second-round knockout of Mike Marrone on Sept. 5. Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images.

The “Let’s Go Champ!” movement continues.

Shannon Briggs needed just two rounds to finish off Mike Marrone on Saturday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The former heavyweight titleholder Briggs (59-6-1, 52 knockouts) dropped Marrone (21-5, 15 KOs) for the count with a left hook to the body, ending the fight at the 2:52 mark.

Marrone, 29, of Vero Beach, Fla. was fighting for the first time in a year, and just the second time in four years. The 43-year-old Briggs, who won for the eighth time since returning to the ring in April of 2014, has already earned a No. 5 ranking with the WBA despite not having fought a top-15 contender in his most recent comeback.

Even with the lack of recognizable names on his resume since a 2010 loss to Vitali Klitschko, Briggs continues to push for a shot at RING, IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, who faces Tyson Fury on Oct. 24.



In the latest incident in his year-long campaign of public confrontations with Klitschko, Briggs’ took his attention off training for Marrone to spoil a Klitschko workout session in Florida. He then posted a video of the event on his social media channels.

Another familiar heavyweight from the 90s was also on the undercard as Maurice Harris, best known for his bouts with Larry Holmes and Derrick Jefferson, drew with Grover Young (12-16-2, 8 KOs). The 39-year-old Harris (26-19-3, 11 KOs) was fighting for the first time since April 2014, when he was knocked out in two rounds by Andrey Fedosov.