“I’ve boxed in half empty arenas, I’ve even boxed in places where only my dad’s been there.”
Those are the words of Savannah Marshall who tonight faces Hannah Rankin for the vacant WBO world middleweight title in London.
Ordinarily, the 29 and 30-year-old rivals should be slugging it out in front of a full house, live on Sky Sports, but these are not ordinary times, sadly.
Instead, Marshall bids to become world champion against the Scot in an empty SSE Wembley Arena, where only Sky Sports Box Office’s staff, medics, boxing officials and a tiny handful of media will be in attendance.
However, an air of quiet for a girl known as ‘The Silent Assassin’ is no problem.
“If anything, it’s more my scene,” she smiled in an interview with punch-lines ahead of the big event headlined by the heavyweight tussle between ex-undisputed world cruiserweight king Oleksandr Usyk and Britain’s Derek Chisora
“I’m quite shy and get a bit embarrassed by the attention.
“I’ve boxed in half empty arenas, I’ve even boxed in places where only my dad’s been there.
“Even on my debut, for all it was brilliant I was on the Floyd Mayweather-Connor McGregor undercard in Las Vegas, I was on at 5 o’clock and there were only a few family and friends and some lads from Sunderland in the arena!
“I’ve boxed loads of gym bouts on international camps so this won’t faze me one bit.”
Marshall mentions her international time there and this is one of the key aspects of tonight’s fascinating England v Scotland showdown.
The Hartlepool girl has been at the top of the sport for a decade, winning countless titles and gold medals – but for some lousy judging in the 2016 Olympics the Headland ABC would have brought at least a bronze medal back from Rio.
She is one of the greatest female talents the world has seen and while she has not the professional rounds under her belt like tonight’s opponent, her class is without question … and she can ‘dig’ a bit too.
That’s not to say it’s going to be easy. Rankin has never been stopped and is highly-motivated and confident.
The London-based former IBO world champion has been landing a number of verbal jabs all year, though it has not thrown the Peter Fury-trained boxer off her stride.
“All the stuff she’s been coming out with just spurs me on,” said the 2012 world amateur champion, whose focus has remained on Rankin, despite the lure of a potential super-match with world number one Claressa Shields next year.
“Hannah says all I go on about is fighting Claressa Shields.
“Nothing could be further from the truth.
“I never bring up the subject. Interviewers always ask and I answer, it’s part and parcel of the sport.”
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Mark Robinson/ Matchroom
