Boxing
Fight week: Savannah Marshall in prelude to Claressa Shields showdown, return of Sandor Martin
WEEKEND
Middleweight champion Savannah Marshall will face Femke Hermans in the prelude to Claressa Shields. Also, Sandor Martin will be back.
Sandor Martin (39-2, 13 KOs) vs Jose Felix (39-5-1, 30 KOs)
- When: Friday, April 1
- Time: 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. Pacific Time (main event follows)
- Where: Palau Olympic Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
- TV / Stream: DAZN
- Assignment: Small welding weight (140 pounds)
- Circle: ten
- Under threat: No main title
- Ranking in British Pounds: Not available
- The odds: NA
- Also on the card: Samuel Carmona vs. Joel Cordova, smaller division; Jorgelina Guanini vs. Stevi Levy, baby featherweight
- Guess: Martin UD
- Story: Martin took a big step forward in his career when he beat four tournament president Mikey Garcia majority decision in a 10-round 145-pound catch this past October in Fresno, California, Martin’s first game outside of Europe. The Spaniard returns to his homeland to face Jose Felix on Friday. Martin, a slick southern boxer, has won 10 straight fights since he lost a unanimous decision to Anthony Yigit in 2017. No one has come close to the caliber of the showdown with Garcia, in that. Martin uses his skill and athleticism to defeat one of the more respected boxers in the world even though he is fighting on his own natural weight. He won with scores of 97-93, 97-93 and 95-95, the final score not reflecting what happened in the ring. However, only the WBO saw fit to place Martin (in 4th place) in the more muscular weight category. Of course, Felix is one level behind Garcia. The Mexican, who fought for the interim world championship, has only scored 4-4 in his last eight matches. That included a unanimous decision loss to Tyrone McKenna this past August in Northern Ireland, a fight both boxers knocked out. Felix has erred many times, including five times in a loss to Jonathan Maicelo in 2017. He was also stopped by compatriot Isaac Cruz for three rounds in 2018. Felix’s best hope in this match is his punching power. older brother.
Savannah Marshall (11-0.9 KO) vs Femke Hermans (12-3.5 KO)
- When: Saturday, April 2
- Time: 3pm ET / noon PT (main event follows)
- Where: Utilita Arena, Newcastle, England
- TV / Stream: No TV in the US (Sky Sports in the UK)
- Assignment: Middleweight (160 pounds)
- Circle: ten
- Under threat: Marshall’s WBO title
- Ranking in British Pounds: Not available
- The odds: NA
- Also on the card: Florian Marku vs Chris Jenkins, welterweight; Nathan Gorman vs. Scott Alexander, strong candidate
- Guess: Marshall UD
- Story: For Marshall, this fight was perhaps the prelude to a unified showdown with third-belt winner Claressa Shields. The Newcastle area boxer won the vacant 160-pound WBO Championship by stopping Hannah Rankin in October 2020 and has successfully defended twice, knocking out both Maria Lindberg last April and Lolita Muzeya in October. The athlete made seven stops twice in a row, which is unusual given the two-minute round in women’s boxing. If she wins on Saturday, she and Shields are expected to play each other before the end of the year. Marshall defeated a young Shields in the 2012 World Championships, the only American defeat whether amateur or professional. The two talked to each other after Shield’s unanimous decision victory over Emz Kozin on February 5. Hermans had a brief reign as the super-middleweight title winner but fell short in the middleweight division, including a decisive loss to Alicia Napoléon Espinosa and Shields in the title fights. The Belgian boxer has won his last three fights, including a knockout knock-out of novice Lili Jumali last July in Brussels.
