Floyd Mayweather star Savannah Marshall starts world title journey

Millbank Road to Sunset Strip.
Savannah Marshall celebrates her victory over Sydney LeBlanc in the T Mobile ArenaSavannah Marshall celebrates her victory over Sydney LeBlanc in the T Mobile Arena
Savannah Marshall celebrates her victory over Sydney LeBlanc in the T Mobile Arena

That’s some trip but Las Vegas is just the start of the journey for Savannah Marshall.

The Hartlepool boxer has swapped Dyke House for Sin City where she launched her bid to go from amateur to professional world champion with Mayweather Promotions.

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Marshall’s first chapter in pro boxing was a successful one in Vegas, beating American tough nut, Sydney LeBlanc over four one-sided rounds on the opening bout of the richest show on earth between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor.

While only a smattering of folk were inside the T Mobile Arena on Sunset Strip for Marshall’s formative moves as a pro, there will surely be thousands in attendance when she challenges Claressa Shields in the same auditorium for the USA golden girl’s WBC and IBF titles.

The title blockbuster between the two greatest middleweights in women’s boxing history is inevitable, though its timing remains up in the air.

Time is the only thing Marshall needs – she already possesses the talent plus the belief having been the only boxer to defeat Shields, who carries the moniker ‘T-Rex’.

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Savannah needs time to establish herself in Las Vegas, time to settle into an apartment, having been housed so far at the MGM Grand, and time to get accustomed to a new gym and trainer.

Marshall prepared for the unanimous points victory over LeBlanc in Bolton with Peter Fury and in Hartlepool with Tim Coulter and John Stubbs, while her visa was being processed, Coulter leading her corner at her debut.

There is talk of Marshall being coached by none other than Floyd Mayweather Snr, dad of her promoter, Floyd Jnr, but that is something the boxer and her manager, DeJuan Blake, will need to sort out.

So too the venues for the 26-year-old’s fights – it would be nice should Mayweather Promotions showcase the 2012 world gold medallist and reigning Commonwealth Games champ on this side of the Atlantic as well as in her Vegas.

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Marshall gave her new hometown a treat with a masterful display against LeBlanc.

Despite being up against a hard-as-nails Yank, while having her first bout in 12 months, the ex-Headland ABC star showed her quality and authority.

Marshall launched the Mayweather-McGregor undercard by subduing the 33-year-old, who came into the four-rounder with a winning record.

But the confident Headland star controlled procedings from the first bell.

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LeBlanc, from Louisiana came into the match having taken Shields the full eight rounds in June, but Marshall made sure she never got a foothold.

Savannah used her footwork superbly, boxing confidently behind her jab, taking the contest to LeBlanc.

Marshall forced her opponent onto the ropes, where Sydney successfully covered up.

The Poolie maintained the pattern in round two and jolted her rival’s head back with a left in the third though it only sparked some brief action from the girl from the States.

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Marshall though was soon on the front foot again, forcing the pace and forcing LeBlanc on the retreat.

All three judges, Lisa Giampa, Patricia Jarman and Burt Clements, scored it for the Harrtlepool girl as she began her new chapter in emphatic fashion.