Unlucky Savannah Marshall’s wait for a shot at the world championship must go on.
Her challenge for the vacant WBO middleweight title at Peterborough on Saturday has been called off after her trainer, Peter Fury, tested positive for COVID-19.
It is devastating news for the 28-year-old who joined in the Matchroom fight ‘bubble’ on Tuesday (pictured above) at the Holiday Inn, where she was tested immediately on arrival.
Marshall’s test came back negative, as did all the other fighters and teams at the event, but Fury’s test was positive.
A Matchroom statement read: “The fight will be rescheduled in due course and our best wishes are with Peter.”
With promoter Eddie Hearn having a series of shows coming up between now and the end of the year, there is a chance it could happen sooner rather than later.
Rankin told punch-lines: “I’m absolutely gutted, for me and Savannah, we have put in so much work for this fight.
“Don’t get me wrong, I know there is definitely a needle between us, but I do feel for Sav, I’m sure she’s as gutted as I am.
“When you’ve trained so hard for so long for something like this to happen just days before we were due to box is soul destroying.
“I was in the best shape I’ve ever been in and I was taking that title back to Scotland.”
One potential date would be Saturday, November 14, though that could come too soon.
That night Matchroom are promoting the first-ever women’s world title triple-header, starring Irish legend Katie Taylor and English girls Terri Harper and Rachel Ball, in an historic evening of boxing shown live on Sky Sports.
Saturday’s show will go ahead with five fights, headlined by Lewis Ritson’s WBA Inter-continental light-welterweight title defence against Miguel Vazquez.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Mark Robinson/ Matchroom
