Luss boxer Hannah Rankin missed out on the WBO world middleweight title after being stopped in seven rounds by Savannah Marshall.
Fighting on the undercard to Derek Chisora’s bout with Oleksandr Usyk, Rankin immediately found herself on the back foot against the former Team GB Olympic fighter, who produced a masterclass to inflict the first stoppage of the 30-year-old’s career.
Marshall started the fight at pace, showing a huge variety of shots and impressing with her quick footwork.
Hannah stood up bravely for six rounds, before a ferocious attack in the seventh saw the bout stopped – and the English fighter take victory.
And after a war of words in the build-up, both corners were full of respect for each other following the fight. Hannah tweeted: “I’m back at the hotel and out of hospital.
“No broken bones, scans all clear, though I picked up a burst eardrum somewhere in the fun! Congratulations to Savannah and Peter Fury on the win. I’m going to rest and I’ll be back at 154/147lbs. Thanks to everyone for their support.”
Whilst her trainer Noel Callan said: “Congratulations to Savannah Marshall on a great performance.
“I’ve been super proud of Hannah all week and on Saturday night, but she’s not a middleweight so she will rest, recover and be back.”
Savannah, who visited Hannah’s dressing room after the fight to check on her opponent, added: “Thank you for the fight Hannah. You’ve got the biggest heart in boxing.”
