Winning is part of Savannah Marshall’s DNA.
So get ready for the first title triumph in her professional boxing life in Sofia on Saturday night – in only her fourth fight.
The 27-year-old meets Yanina Orozco for the vacant WBA inter-continental super-middleweight belt in the Arena Armeec on the undercard of the Kubrat Pulev-Hughie Fury IBF Heavyweight title eliminator, live on Channel 5 .
Orozco (pictured right) is unbeaten after four contests, is a tough-as-nails and has not journeyed 8,000 miles from Argentina to Bulgaria for the fun of it.
But the 29-year-old is facing someone who is also undefeated and is just as big a hard-case and is one of the best female fighters to set foot on the planet.
Marshall has struck gold everywhere, notably the World Championship and Commonwealth Games plus a multitude of international competitions, including Europeans and World Combat Games.
The only medal to elude her was at the Olympics but it should be noted she would have got one there too had it not been for a ropy decision at Rio 2016 when she suffered a split decision in the quarter-finals to Nouchka Fontijn.
But that is by the by now and tonight she can follow in the ring steps off her old GB team-mates, who all clinched pro titles in a handful of fights.
Nicola Adams won the interim WBO world flyweight belt in her fifth contest, while Chantelle Cameron lifted the IBO’s lightweight winner in bout four and is now also the WBC’s silver champ and Natasha Jonas became the WBA’s International super-featherweight holder in her sixth appearance though she has subsequently suffered her first defeat.
Marshall’s amateur coach and mentor, Tim Coulter, takes a “why wait?”approach to world title aspirations for the Hartlepool girl.
“My view is she should go for it,” said the Headland ABC trainer. “Savannah doesn’t want to be boxing forever and she’s good enough to be fighting for the big titles now.
“People forget that when she went to her first Olympics she was the only one of the Team GB boxers to be a world champion and that includes Anthony Joshua, Luke Campbell, Nicola Adams, the lot.
“Why wait? If she has another 10 pro fights is she going to get any better than she is now?
“I think when you are top class in the amateurs then you make big strides in the professional ranks quickly.
“You don’t need to be mucking around with journeymen. I think it can be different in the men’s game where you might need fights to build up the rounds.
“But in women’s boxing it’s not as important because there isn’t the same depth.”
Coulter is confident of glory tonight for the super-middleweight, who is trained by Hughie Fury’s dad, Peter.
“Orozco looks strong, she’s unbeaten and has the confidence that brings,” said Tim.
“She likes to walk forward and she’s Argentinian so she’ll be teak-tough.
“Savannah has a good coach and she looks in a great place, physically and mentally.
“I did a bit on the pads with her on the gym the day before she went to Bulgaria and she was looking very good.”
Words: Roy Kelly
