Savannah Marshall world champion.
Four words we’ve already seen before but now the Hartlepool boxer has completed an amazing double after stopping Hannah Rankin to win the vacant WBO middleweight title in London.
After Rankin went down following a sustained seventh-round Marshall assault at the SSE Wembley Arena, referee Phil Edwards mercifully called a halt just a second from the end of the session.
The 29-year-old’s triumph made history by becoming the first British boxer, male or female, to follow gold in the world amateur championship in 2012 by winning a world professional title inside the ring.
While Nicola Adams clinched world amateur and pro glory, her professional title was awarded by the governing body, rather than won with he gloves on.
Marshall was simply irresistible in tonight’s England v Scotland battle.
The Peter Fury-trained boxer started confidently against the London-based Scot, who went into her fifth professional world title contest convinced she would be taking the belt back north of the border.
But Marshall boxed smoothly from range from the outset and stepped it up as the bout wore on, upping the pace in the fourth, before delivering firm shots with both hands in the fifth.
The 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medalist landed at will in the sixth and carried that domination into the seventh, hurting her rival to head and body with ruthless fashion.
There was no doubting Rankin’s bravery, but Marshall moved and boxed superbly.
It looked inevitable that the end would come, with Rankin, wisely, taking a knee in the last 10 seconds. Mr Edwards, correctly, waved it off after taking a good look at the former IBO champion.
Marshall celebrated and deservedly so after a very complete performance.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Mark Robinson/ Matchroom
