Savannah Marshall

Savannah Marshall, born on May 19, 1991, in Hartlepool, England, is a name that has become well known for her achievements in the world of women's boxing, as well as her advocacy for mental health. Savannah Marshall, as her nickname "silent assassin" suggests, is a reserved person who has been very vocal about the crippling social anxiety she had to overcome to excel in her sport. Although she never won Olympic gold, she achieved success by winning numerous amateur titles, from European to World Championships. She battled extreme anxiety about never winning Olympic gold or even transitioning to professional boxing.

However, due to her lack of Olympic gold, Marshall managed to fly under the radar like a true assassin when she transitioned into the world of professional sports. Marshall was encouraged to turn professional by Mayweather Promotions and later signed with the same promotion. She made her noteworthy professional debut on the undercard of the McGregor vs. Mayweather fight, winning by unanimous decision against Sydney LeBlanc.

Once she turned professional, there was no turning back for Marshall. She went on to win her first 8 professional fights in a row, becoming the WBO champion by defeating Hannah Rankin on October 30, 2020, via TKO. Marshall successfully defended her title three times, winning each bout by knockout in the first three rounds.

She later became the WBO middleweight champion and even challenged arguably the greatest female combat sports fighter, Claressa Shields, for the undisputed middleweight title in October 2022. In this bout, Marshall suffered her first professional loss, a unanimous decision in favor of Shields. Following this setback and her lifelong battle with anxiety, Marshall considered retiring but ultimately overcame her inner struggles to become the undisputed super-middleweight champion by defeating Franchon Crews Dezurn via majority decision. She even followed in the footsteps of Claressa Shields by signing with the MMA PFL promotion, rekindling her rivalry with Shields.

Behind every great fighter is a great coach and Marshall's coach is a man well-versed in dealing with the mental aspect of boxing. He hails from one of the most established boxing families in the history of the sport, namely Peter Fury, who is the brother of John Fury and an uncle to Tommy and Tyson Fury. Peter Fury played a pivotal role in establishing the Fury family as a boxing lineage and has a wealth of experience in learning from mistakes, such as in the Wilder vs. Fury trilogy where his nephew Tyson emerged victorious. Marshall benefited from his guidance, learning from her mistakes in both amateur and professional bouts, ultimately leading to her becoming a super middleweight champion.

Marshall fights tall, forcing her opponents to put power combinations together while trying to avoid her jab and slow down her fancy footwork. Despite being 32 years old, Marshall shows no signs of reaching her physical, mental, and technical peaks. She employs a variety of feints, causing her opponents to make a few unnecessary movements due to her one-touch knockout power. Marshall effectively disrupts her opponents' rhythm and capitalizes on their mistakes.

Marshall is considered pound for pound one of the best tacticians in all of women's boxing. She possesses a strong jab, solid footwork, and the ability to read her opponents, allowing her to control the pace of fights. Moreover, Marshall's resilience and willingness to take on tough challenges, despite her battles with mental health, have made her a popular women's boxer and a prominent advocate for mental health awareness in the world of sports.