Savannah Marshall’s wait for a world title shot might soon be over.
Already a world champion as an amateur, the Hartlepool boxer has been promised a “big, big fight” on the Bad Blood show in Newcastle on Saturday October 19.
The promise, from promoter Eddie Hearn, comes with a condition – she must come through her confrontation with Brazil’s Daniele Bastieri at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday evening both unscathed and with her seventh straight victory under her belt.
Saturday’s sold-out London bonanza, where Marshall stars alongside her former Team GB colleagues, Luke Campbell, Joshua Buatsi, Joe Cordina and Charlie Edwards, plus stablemate Hughie Fury, marks her debut for new promoters, Matchroom.
Her second appearance comes at the Utilita Arena on the banks of the Tyne just seven weeks later.
Hearn did not exactly spell it out in black and white, but a read between the lines suggests Marshall is in line for a world title eliminator.
“Savannah Marshall will be in a major fight here providing she comes through her fight at the O2 on the Lomachenko-Campbell card on Saturday, “ said the Matchroom boss.
“She’s going to be boxing in the North-East with a big, big fight for her career.”
A World Boxing Association super-middleweight eliminator makes sense.
The WBA officials will be in Toon that night anyway for the light-welterweight eliminator between Newcastle’s Lewis Ritson and Robbie Davies Jnr, from Liverpool, which headlines the show.
Throw in the fact Marshall is also the WBA’s inter-continental super-middleweight champion then punch-lines feels reasonable confident to add two and two together to make four.
A world war with Claressa Shields is inevitable and highly lucrative – but that will happen one division down at middleweight, rather than super-middle.
Shields is currently the undisputed world champion – something Marshall has her eyes on.
The former Commonwealth Games gold medalist is the only girl on the planet to have beaten the brilliant and brash American, something she is confident of repeating as a professional.
“Claressa is the undisputed middleweight champion so in that aspect she is ahead of me,” she said. “I believe that fight will happen soon and that I will beat her again, like I did as an amateur.
“I think I’m twice the fighter now than I was when we last fought, so it makes no difference to me where the fight takes place, I’ll beat her again.”
But, before thinking of Shields or even before contemplating Newcastle, London is calling for Savannah.
She must deal with Bastieri, who will be a dangerous customer. The 29-year-old, from Sao Paulo, (pictured right) has only boxed twice as a pro, but has won both by stoppage, and, just as pertinently, she has arrived in England with absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain.
The pair met at today’s weigh-in at Spitalfields Market, where Bastieri tipped the scales at 11st 12lbs, just eight ounces lighter than Marshall.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Mark Robinson/ Matchroom
