Last night in Manchester, Savannah Marshall personified the age old warning that sometimes it’s the quiet ones you’ve got to watch out for.
Though she is always pleasant, you still get the distinct impression from Marshall that, if at all possible, she could do without the endless barrage of media interviews wherein she is asked the same questions countless times. And more often than not having to comment over and over again on the same subject: Claressa Shields.
Speaking of which, trash talk is a pre-fight component that seems to make Savannah uncomfortable and something she is not terribly good at. But she can only get backed into a corner by belligerently artful linguists like Claressa or Franchon Crews-Dezurn so many times before the risk of appearing like a weak-willed pushover compels her to return fire when she’d much rather let her fists speak for themselves.
Which Marshall did, under especially trying circumstances, to bring an end to Crews-Dezurn’s brief reign as undisputed super-middleweight champion. She then had to trade verbal jabs yet again with a riled-up Shields at the post-fight press conference. But, first thing’s first.
It’s not often that you see a boxer sing the National Anthem before their own fight. In fact, if that’s ever happened before, I’m not aware of it. Regardless, that is precisely how the multi-talented Franchon got yesterday’s main event in Manchester underway. Savannah had her work cut out for her in stopping this from becoming the ‘Heavy Hitting Diva’ show.
In the early going, Crews-Dezurn established a pattern she would repeat all night of mauling, smothering, and outmuscling the taller, leaner Marshall. It took a few rounds for Savannah, who herself admits to being a slow starter, to get out of first gear and begin to connect with the cleaner, more impactful punches. She even returned the favor by chucking Franchon to the canvas after having the same done to her on two previous occasions.
Both women are equipped with a high ring IQ. You simply don’t get to world championship level without it. Marshall, however, may be a bit too cerebral for her own good, perhaps spending a little more time in a contemplative mindset when a proactive approach would better suit the situation. Like last night.
With the lengthier limbs to her advantage, it was surprising that Savannah didn’t make more consistent and effective use of her left jab to open up opportunities to detonate her explosive right hand with quick, one-two combinations. Easier said than done, of course, with the physically imposing Crews-Dezurn leaning her weight on Marshall as often as she could.
Savannah would have also benefited from using Franchon’s reckless forward momentum against her by stepping back and to the side, creating angles to counter the already off-balance champion or letting her hands go with multi-punch onslaughts instead of single power shots. Nevertheless, Marshall turned the tide throughout the remainder of the fight, bloodying Crews-Dezurn’s nose as tangible proof that she was more than capable of bullying the bully.
Judge Paul Wallace was generous where Franchon was concerned in scoring the bout a draw, but so too was John Llona Fernandez, who turned in a 99-92 verdict in favor of Marshall, who was awarded the 168-pound undisputed championship by majority decision. Franchon wasn’t quite ready to relinquish the spotlight just yet, as she photobombed Savannah’s post-fight celebration to everyone’s amusement.
Sitting ringside at Manchester Arena as Franchon’s main cheerleader, Claressa Shields, the only boxer to have beaten both Crews-Dezurn and Marshall prior to last evening, was clearly not amused. Not by Savannah’s victory, that is. Or by the Brit’s attempt to set the terms straightaway for a rematch with Shields. Saying that she would be more than happy to “beat her ass again,” Claressa was adamant that a return bout would have to take place in the US, and called Marshall “lazy” for wanting the undisputed vs. undisputed fight to happen at super-middleweight rather than her going back down to meet Shields at 160.
To her credit, Savannah was enjoying dishing out some trash talk of her own when Claressa got a little too loud for her liking at the post-fight press conference, even if I did have to look up the meaning of "divvy." Marshall also mentioned the potential of facing mandatory challenger Shadasia Green next, having chided Crews-Dezurn during the fight week press conference for ducking the undefeated slugger from New Jersey. A second go-round with Franchon is also not outside the realm of possibility. It must feel exhilarating for Marshall to have a crown upon her head and multiple options from which to choose.
Natasha Jonas became a two-division world champion with a one-sided victory over Kandi Wyatt. The eighth-round stoppage earned Tasha the vacant IBF welterweight title and the chance to become undisputed at 147 by waiting for the winner of the upcoming unification fight between Jessica McCaskill and Sandy Ryan. To do so, she would have to commit to the welterweight division and surrender her belts at 154 since resuming hostilities with current WBA/IBO champion Terri Harper doesn't seem to be on Jonas’ agenda.
On the topic of super-welterweights, April Hunter improved to 7-1 on yesterday’s undercard by decking Kirstie Bavington in the penultimate stanza of her eight-round revenge win over her rival, with whom she locked horns onstage at last Thursday’s presser before security intervened. The knockdown proved to be the deciding factor for Hunter in a razor thin 76-75 verdict. April later joined Savannah Marshall in the ring after her friend and stablemate’s victory.
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