Savannah Marshall will put her WBO middleweight title and undefeated status on the line against Femke Hermans tonight, with the Briton’s chances of a unification clash against Claressa Shields also at risk in Newcastle.
Hartlepool’s Marshall (11-0, 9 knockouts) headlines at the Utilita Arena as she defends her belt against her Belgian challenger, who is riding a three-fight win streak as she enters this bout in hostile territory. Hermans (12-3, 5 KOs) last competed in July, when she finished Lili Jumali in the third round. Marshall, meanwhile, last fought in October, when she finished Lolita Muzeya in the second round for a seventh straight stoppage victory.
Marshall, 30, told the BBC this week: “Everyone keeps saying, how can I focus on Femke when everyone is talking about Claressa? But the thing is, everyone’s been talking about Claressa for the past four years. She’s always been creeping about in the background for me, this is nothing new. I’ve got tunnel vision when it comes to who I’m fighting. I know I can’t overlook Femke. [Then there is] nothing stopping setting up a massive fight between me and Claressa in the summer.”
Follow live updates from Marshall vs Hermans and the undercard, below.
