WBO Middleweight Champion Savannah Marshall has announced that she will defend her title against Femke Hermans on March 12, 2022 in Newcastle, England. Hermans was supposed to challenge Marshall for the title in 2021, but a positive COVID-19 test delayed the fight until this year. Now, the two fighters will lay it all on the line for middleweight glory.
“We know each other quite well; she’s studied me, I’ve studied her,” Marshall told ESPN.
“She’s only ever lost to the best in the world, and she’s a former world champion herself.”
Hermans enters the ring with a record of 12-3 with five knockouts. As Marshall pointed out, her three losses come at the hands of Claressa Shields, Alicia Napoleon Espinosa and Elin Cederroos, who are all current or former world champions. With that said, she is on a three-fight winning streak and is looking to reclaim the belt she lost in 2018. Meanwhile, Marshall is looking to improve her record to 12-0 and earn a fight with Claressa Shields. While Shields is a two-time gold medalist and current world champion, Marshall holds the distinction of being the last women to beat Shields in a boxing ring. With that said, Shields is undefeated as a professional and will be heavily favored if that fight is made this summer.
Before a mega fight can happen in the super middleweight division, Marshall must get by Hermans on March 12. Also, Shields must take care of business against Ema Kozin on February 5, 2022.
