Mayweather-McGregor: Savannah Marshall excited to be making pro debut in Las Vegas

Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor have cursed their way from Las Vegas around the world and back to the Sin City for the most lucrative fight in boxing history.
Savannah Marshall and Sydney LeBlanc during the weigh in at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada.Savannah Marshall and Sydney LeBlanc during the weigh in at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Savannah Marshall and Sydney LeBlanc during the weigh in at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada.

But the girl known as the ‘Silent Assassin’ will again look to make her actions speak louder than her words at the T-Mobile Arena tonight.

Savannah Marshall will make her professional debut on the pay-per-view spectacular, headlined by her boss, Mayweather, who has come out of retirement to take on UFC’s McGregor.

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Mayweather, who defeated the Irish boxing novice 89-84 in swear words on their world press tour – who counts these things? – is the favourite to bring the curtain down on his illustrious career with his 50th straight victory.

Marshall, on the other hand, has been charm personified in Las Vegas, as she looks to take her first win as a pro when she takes on tough American Sydney LeBlanc over four rounds.

The 26-year-old has dealt pleasantly with her media commitments and looked relaxed when she weighed in at the venue last night, when she received a tremendous ovation from the huge crowd.

Marshall, known for shunning the limelight, had a broad grin on her face as she posed for pictures alongside a confident-looking LeBlanc.

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“This is the moment I’ve been waiting for,” said Marshall. “To be making my debut in Las Vegas is a dream come true.

“I had reached the point in the amateurs where I had lost a lot of my motivation.

“Since turning pro, I feel re-energised and I’ve loved the training with Peter Fury in his gym in Bolton and the work I’ve done in the Headland gym.

“I’m enjoying the new start and it does not come any better than fighting for Floyd Mayweather in Vegas, does it?”

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Far from the pantomime antics of the May-Mac show, the first meeting between Marshall and LeBlanc was all smiles, the American remarking “I’m glad you’re nice”, a reference to the trash-talking she received from world champ Claressa Shields when they fought in the summer.

Marshall, the 2012 world amateur champion, will have her original coach and long-time mentor, Tim Coulter, in her corner when the boxers meet tonight wearing gloves.

“It’s brilliant having Tim here,” she added.

Marshall v LeBlanc is part of a very competitive undercard in Nevada – certainly more competitive than the top of the bill event.

The former Headland middleweight is matched with a hard-as-nails 33-year-old, from Louisiana, who boasts four wins in her seven appearances.

Marshall is not the only Brit on the show.

Nathan Cleverly, from Wales, makes the first defence of his WBA light-heavyweight title against Sweden’s Badou Jack, in what looks an absolute cracker.