Is there a fighter with worse luck than Savannah Marshall?
Less than a week before the maiden defence of her WBO world middleweight title against Femke Hermans, the bout has been postponed after a member of the Belgian’s camp tested positive for coronavirus.
Promoters Matchroom still hope to get her on the bill in London this Saturday, though the chances of that being with the World Boxing Organization’s belt on the line would appear remote. Getting any sort of fight at this late stage would be something.
It represents a bitter blow for Marshall who, sadly, has ‘history’ of late postponements.
The 29-year-old saw her fight with Hannah Rankin for the vacant belt at Peterborough called off in October when her coach, Peter Fury, tested positive for Covid.
Marshall, thankfully, did not have long to wait to fight Rankin, with the bout taking place just a fortnight later at Wembley, where ‘the Silent Assassin’ put in a tremendous performance to stop the Scot in the seventh round.
Hopefully, there could be an equally rapid re-scheduling of the clash with Hermans.
Matchroom’s next promotion in the UK after Saturday’s Conor Benn v Samuel Vargas show will be the May 1 event which is headlined by Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker and also features the world lightweight title fight between Katie Taylor and Natasha Jonas, as well as an appearance by Chris Eubank.
Just like the Halloween night when she beat Rankin, this too is a pay per view event on Sky Box Office.
If, but hopefully when, it does happen, it promises to be an exciting confrontation and no walkover for the Hartlepool girl.
Hermans has won 11 of her 14 contests, including a WBO world title on foreign soil when she won in Germany against Nikki Adler while she also went the distance with Claressa Shields in a unification fight in America.
The 31-year-old has never been stopped and has vowed to take Marshall’s belt from her.
Savannah, meanwhile, has won all nine of her professional contests, seven inside the distance.
The ex-Headland ABC star checked into the Matchroom fight bubble on Tuesday with a smile on her face, but behind the smile there will be a grimace and she will be hoping the promoters find her an opponent for the event at the Copper Box on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Ian Walton/ Matchroom
