WBO middleweight titleholder Savannah Marshall scored the 10^th win of her career stopping Sweden’s Maria Lindberg in the first defence of her championship in the third round.

She then said she wanted to fight Claressa Shields, whom she defeated in the amateurs.

“I punch too hard for Claressa Shields and she doesn’t want to know,” said Marshall in her post-fight interview with Sky Sports. “She’d much rather roll around in the Octagon or call out Katie Taylor who’s four weights below her.”

Marshall’s promoter Eddie Hearn said he’s reached out to Shields’s team, Mark Taffet and Dmitriy Salita.

“They want a load of money and I’m prepared to pay a load of money,” said Hearn. “She beat her in the amateurs, she’ll beat her in the professionals. I’m going to do everything I can to try and make it.”

Marshall was relaxed from the get-go against Lindberg, carrying her left hand low and pumping it out with great frequency to keep the 44-year-old in a defensive shell. The visitor was in over her head. Marshall dumped her with a big right hand in Round 2 and then hurt her to the body before the end of the session.

It all seemed inevitable as the third round opened. Lindberg was put down for a second time from another right hand and she sat out the count. She’d taken the fight at short notice, and Marshall moves to 10-0 (8 KOs).

It was over after 1:11 of Round 3.

Lindberg, 19-7-2 (10 KOs), had never been stopped but had seen better days and was moving up in weight in her fifth attempt at a world title.

“Utmost respect for Maria stepping in,” said Marshall. “She’s tough, she’s never been stopped and I didn’t think it would go like that. I’m over the moon with it. I’m over the moon with the progress I’m making with [trainer] Peter [Fury].”

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