Savannah Marshall is set for a big overseas mission after getting a spot on the undercard of Hughie Fury’s IBF world heavyweight title eliminator.
Marshall will box on the ‘Fire & Fury’ card in Sofia on Saturday, October 27, when Fury takes on Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev in ‘The Cobra’s’ backward.
The unbeaten Hartlepool fighter hopes to box in September, but the contest in Sofia represents another step towards world honours and it will be screened by Channel 5.
Marshall has enjoyed a 100 per cent start to professional life.
The 2012 world middleweight gold medallist began her career in style 12 months ago.
Boxing on the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor mega-event in Las Vegas, she outclassed USA tough-girl Sydney LeBlanc at the T Mobile Arena.
Since then Marshall has parted company with Mayweather Promotions to link up with Hennessy Sports and train under world-title-winning coach, Peter Fury.
The former Headland ABC star won in style on her UK debut, stopping Ester Konecna, from the Czech Republic, in one-minute, 43 seconds of the second round at Bolton on the undercard of Hughie Fury’s British title triumph over Sam Sexton.
That Marshall success was shown by Channel 5 and she had further TV exposure in June when she hammered Alejandra Ayala on the Dave channel.
The win was even better than the Bolton blast.
A six-round international middleweight contest against the Mexican number one at the York Hall looked, on paper, a testing challenge in the early stages of her pro career.
But Savannah made it look easy by taking the 29-year-old apart, referee Jeff Hinds stopping the bout two seconds from the end of round two.
Like Konecna, Ayala had never been stopped before but succumbed to the Marshall power.
The ‘Fire & Fury’ will be presented by Ivaylo Gotzev and John Wirt’s Epic Sports and Entertainment, together with Fury’s promoter, Hennessy Sports, and will be broadcast live by Channel 5.
It looks some fight between two rivals with impressive and near-identical records.
Pulev’s log stands at 25-1 (13 by KO) with Fury boasting 21-1 (11 KOs). The winner will have the right to face the winner of the September 22 showdown between champion Anthony Joshua and challenger Alexander Povetkin.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Tom Collins/ Hartlepool Life
