Savannah Marshall vs. Lolita Muzeya

Utilita Arena, Newcastle 16/10/21

Savannah Marshall W TKO 2 Lolita Muzeya

WBO Middleweight Championship of the World

10x 2 Minutes

A quiet storm is brewing in Britain for Claressa Shields following Savannah Marshall’s thunderous demolition of previously-undefeated challenger Lolita Muzeya in tonight’s WBO Middleweight Championship defence.

England’s north-east turned out in thousands to support its favourite fighting daughter as she headlined the BOXXER Fight Night at the Utilita Arena Newcastle. Marshall (11-0, 9 KO’s) walked to the ring accompanied by the cheers of a capacity crowd, with hundreds of thousands more watching live on Sky Sports.

The fight was short but dramatic.

Muzeya (now 16-1, 8 KO’s) had never tasted defeat before and came here from Zambia intent on force-feeding Marshall a loss instead. There was no feeling-out process; Muzeya charged out of her corner at the opening bell and began pouring out power-shots, making clear she planned to try and put Marshall away early.

A wild first round was followed by an equally wild second, with Muzeya continuing her total-war strategy while Marshall ducked and weaved through the barrage and found places for her own shots to land.

Suddenly Muzeya began to come undone; Marshall’s blows took her breath away and rocked her focus. Attack gave way to defence, cohesion gave way to disarray: Marshall turned up the heat and Muzeya’s defence melted away.

With the Zambian girl on the ropes and taking heavy blows one after another, the referee jumped in to wave the fight off and award Marshall her second successful defence of the WBO Middleweight Championship.

“I knew she would come [at a high pace] and when I went back to the corner after the first round, Peter [Fury, trainer] said ‘Just weather the storm, she’ll die after a couple of rounds’ and, well.. she only lasted one more,” recalled an elated Marshall in her post-fight interview.

“He said just tuck up, catch her shots and just pick your own. And he was right, as soon as I went back out I started catching her and put her on the back foot, which I thought she wouldn’t do. But fair play to her because she came at me like a bat out of hell.”

In response to the support she received from her home region crowd, Hartlepool’s Marshall said, “I’m absolutely overwhelmed, I can’t get over it. At the end of the day I am still a woman in a man’s sport and to have this amount of this support is amazing. I’m on cloud nine!”

The win sets up a long-awaited world title unification showdown with American rival Claressa Shields, who burns to avenge an amateur loss to Marshall which to date is the only loss she has ever suffered in a boxing ring.

Shields joined the Sky Sports broadcast by video-call to taunt Marshall. “Congrats! See you next year, girlie. Show you what a real fighter and real champion fights like,” she jibed.

The taciturn Marshall was unperturbed. “Claressa couldn’t last two minutes with me, never mind two rounds,” she said, drawing huge cheers from the crowd.

Marshall and Shields are now both set to appear on a BOXXER card in December – though not against each other. If the two win their fights on that card, it will lead to them facing off in early 2022.

Chris Eubank Jr. W RTD 5 Wanik Awdijan

International Middleweight Contest

10x 3 Minutes

By coincidence, a withdrawal before the sixth round also brought an end to Chris Eubank Jr’s fight against tricky challenger Wanik Awdijan (28-2, 11 KO’s).

The German suffered a suspected broken rib via a crunching body-shot in the fifth round. On his stool during the interval, he told his corner he was struggling to draw breath, leading to them informing the referee that they would be withdrawing their fighter from the bout.

It had taken a couple of rounds for Eubank (31-2, 23 KO’s) to find his range and rhythm, but in the third round he nailed Awdijan on the ropes with a good combination and began the process of taking over the fight.

Newcastle giant Steve Robinson scored a first KO after landing a left hook followed by a massive right hook that poleaxed Manchester’s Reece Barlow.

The Geordie sensation, who resembles Rocky IV Russian rival Ivan Drago, was roared on by a massive crowd who cheered every punch. Robinson moves to an unbeaten four fights with three going early.

Hughie Fury W RTD 5 Christian Hammer

International Heavyweight Contest

12x 3 Minutes

Earlier in the evening, Marshall’s stablemate Hughie Fury (26-3, 15 KO’s) returned to form and elevated himself back into the heavyweight title mix with a victory over German gatekeeper Christian Hammer (26-8, 16 KO’s) in Newcastle this evening.

The heavy-handed Hammer aimed to intimidate Fury with forward pressure and overhand bombs, but the Manchester man weathered the storm and fired back with well-placed shots of his own. Hammer’s attempts to force Fury onto the ropes were unsuccessful, with Fury moving with a lightness belying his size and foot-working his way to control of the ring.

Increasingly frustrated, Hammer fouled Fury by hitting him in the back of the head repeatedly during a clinch in the fifth round. The referee deducted him a point for the foul, which prompted Hammer to go for broke and attempt to score a finish.

That effort backfired: Hammer overreached himself and tore his right bicep in the process. He was forced to retire from the fight in the interval between the fifth and sixth rounds, drawing an end to the contest and handing Fury the win by TKO.

Kirstie Bavington W PTS 6 April Hunter

Welterweight

6x 2 Minutes

Heartbreak was on the cards for April Hunter (4-1) as the Geordie welterweight suffered an upset loss to Kirstie Bavington (5-2, 2 KO’s).

Hunter was on home soil and had a partisan crowd but Bavington hadn’t headed north to roll over. The two met in the middle of the ring for a six-round scrap in which Hunter found herself on the back foot more often than she wanted to be, resulting in a 59-56 points win for the traveling Bavington.

Brad Rea W PTS 8 Jez Smith

Middleweight

8x 3 Minutes

Had the middleweight contest between Brad Rea (11-4, 4 KO’s) and Jez Smith (13-4-1, 6 KO’s) been a PPV, it would have felt cheap at the price. The two went to war from the opening seconds to the closing bell and put on a display which will surely be a UK Fight of the Year contender when 2021 closes out.

Smith set the pace at the start, coming forward as soon as the round started and digging stiff straights into Rea’s head and body. Rea responded in kind, immediately clicking into top gear and firing back with heavy blows of his own.

Just past the midway point of the first round, Rea put Smith down with a thunderous left hook to the body. Incredibly, Smith – evidently in agony – beat the count and returned to the fray with no less pace than moments before.

Over the next seven rounds the two exchanged heavy leather non stop, with Rea gradually edging into control and dominating proceedings by the later stage of the bout. Smith was under enormous pressure in the final round but showed the heart of a lion, taking everything Rea threw and still firing back when he could.

Rea got the nod when the fight concluded, referee Ron Kearney raising his hand and awarding the points win, but Smith’s stock nevertheless grows in defeat, underlining his reputation as a crowd-pleaser with no quit in him.

Georgia O’Connor W PTS 6 Ester Konecna

Super Welterweight

6x 2 Minutes

Durham’s own Georgia O’Connor (1-0) kicked her professional career off in style, taking a comfortable unanimous decision win over her more experienced Croatian opponent Ester Konecna (1-10-1), dominating the centre of the ring and scoring consistently – particularly with the long left hook – and showing the kind of polish which made her such a standout in the amateur ranks.

Michael Webster W RTD 2 Gennadi Stserbin

Cruiserweight

6 x 3 Minutes

Middlesbrough’s Michael Webster (6-0, 4 KO’s) opened the card in a contest against Gennadi Stserbin. With his superior height, range and skills, Webster was never troubled and looked close to scoring a stoppage win towards the end of the second round. Stserbin’s corner team shared the same opinion, throwing the towel in before the third round could begin.

Steve Robinson W TKO 1 Reece Barlow

Heavyweight

6x 3 Minutes

Fight Notes: Both fighters came out swing, loading up with each shot. In the 1st, Robinson connected and that was it. The referee started the count but part way through, just waved off the bout. Time of the stoppage was 1:38 of the 1st round.

At the end of the evening, swing bout Mark Dickinson (1-0, 1 KO) made an immediate impact on his professional debut by smashing Ivica Gogosevic (12-38-2, 5 KO’s) with a huge left hook to the body that flattened his Croatian rival with the referee waving it off.

Marshall, Eubank Jr & Fury win & BOXXER results & 89 image gallery | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)

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15 October 2021

Marshall, Fury, Eubank Jr, Hammer BOXXER weights & huge photo gallery

Boxen247.com Fight Weights April Hunter, Brad Rea, Chris Eubank Jr., christian hammer, ESTER KONECA, GENNADI STSERBIN, Georgia O’Connor, Hughie Fury, IVICA GOGOSEVIC, Jez Smith, Kirstie Bavington, Lolita Muzeya, Mark Dickinson, Marshall vs. Muzeya, Michael Webster, Reece Barlow, Savannah Marshall, Savannah Marshall vs. Lolita Muzeya, Steve Robinson, Wanik Awdijan 0

Marshall, Fury, Eubank Jr, Hammer BOXXER weights & huge photo gallery | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)

Savannah Marshall vs. Lolita Muzeya

A large crowd gathered in Newcastle’s Metrocentre today to watch the eighteen participants in tomorrow night’s BOXXER Fight Night event weigh in for their bouts.

WBO Middleweight Champion Savannah Marshall, who lays claim to being the best female boxer on the planet, was perfectly on weight for her main event title defense against the undefeated Lolita Muzeya.

Every fighter who weighed in at today’s weigh-ins was on weight, making their bouts official for tomorrow night’s card, which airs live and exclusively on Sky Sports.

Please click the above button for photos from today’s weigh-ins, with credit to BOXXER / Lawrence Lustig.

10 x 2 mins WBO Middleweight Championship of the World
SAVANNAH MARSHALL (11st 5lbs) vs. LOLITA MUZEYA (11st 4lbs)

12 x 3 mins International Heavyweight Contest
HUGHIE FURY (17st 7lbs) vs. CHRISTIAN HAMMER (18st 6lbs)

10 x 3 mins International Middleweight Contest
CHRIS EUBANK JR (11st 10lbs) vs. WANIK AWDIJAN (11st 8lbs)

8 x 3 mins Middleweight Contest
BRAD REA (11st 6lbs) vs. JEZ SMITH (11st 9lbs)

6 x 3 mins Heavyweight Contest
STEVE ROBINSON (17st 7lbs) vs. REECE BARLOW (16st 12lbs)

6 x 2 mins Welterweight Contest
APRIL HUNTER (10st 7lbs) vs. KIRSTIE BAVINGTON (10st 5lbs)

6 x 3 mins Middleweight Contest @ 11st 10lbs
MARK DICKINSON (11st 11lbs) vs. IVICA GOGOSEVIC (11st 5lbs)

6 x 3 mins Cruiserweight Contest
MICHAEL WEBSTER vs. GENNADI STSERBIN
(Weighing in later)

6 x 2 mins Super-Welterweight Contest
GEORGIA O’CONNOR vs. ESTER KONECA
(Weighing in later)

Marshall, Fury, Eubank Jr, Hammer BOXXER weights & huge photo gallery | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)

For the list of boxing events we will cover live with and with unofficial scorecard (main event), click the following link > Live Boxing Results & Events<

15 October 2021

Marshall-Muzeya BOXXER press conference quotes & photos

Boxen247.com Boxing News Adam Smith, Ben Shalom, BOXXER, Chris Eubank Jr., christian hammer, Hughie Fury, Lolita Muzeya, Marshall vs. Muzeya, Peter Fury, Savannah Marshall, Savannah Marshall vs. Lolita Muzeya, Wanik Awdijan 0

Marshall-Muzeya BOXXER press conference quotes & photos | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)

Savannah Marshall vs. Lolita Muzeya

Utilita Arena Newcastle, England 16/10/21

World middleweight champion Savannah Marshall, stablemate Hughie Fury and Chris Eubank Jr faced off with their opponents at today’s press conference in the iconic St James’ Park stadium of Newcastle United Football Club ahead of this Saturday night’s BOXXER event at the Utilita Arena Newcastle, airing live on Sky Sports.

Marshall is defending her WBO championship against undefeated Lolita Muzeya, Fury faces the heavy-handed heavyweight Christian Hammer and Eubank Jr faces the vocally confident Wanik Awdijan of Germany.

The boxers were joined on stage at today’s press conference by BOXXER’s Ben Shalom, Sky Sports’ Adam Smith and Peter Fury, trainer of Hughie Fury and Savannah Marshall.

Below is a selection of quotes from today’s press conference. You’ll find pictures at the link above.

Savannah Marshall (10-0, 8 KO’s)

I became world champion in lockdown and my first defence was in lockdown as well, so this is my first chance to [defend in front of] my family and friends and let them enjoy the experience with me.

I’m expecting a tough fight from Lolita. I’d be a fool to overlook anyone and she’s unbeaten and she doesn’t know what it’s like to lose. So yeah, I’m expecting her to come [forward] and I’m expecting the best version of Lolita.

I’ve always been confident in what I can do and yeah I know I’ll beat Claressa [Shields], I know I’ll beat Lolita but saying it and doing it are two different things. Lolita is in my way and I’ll get shot of her then crack on with Claressa.

Lolita Muzeya (16-0, 8 KO’s)

She’s a champion and I have watched her fights. She’s a good boxer, but the only thing is, she has never faced someone like me. I’m well prepared and I’m confident in my skills. I can box on the back foot, I can come forward. So I’m excited for Saturday, I’m really excited. This is a big opportunity.

Hughie Fury (25-3, 14 KO’s)

I’m a fighting man. I’m looking forward to the fight. I’ve prepared in the gym. He’s a tough durable fighter, I respect him. I’m not here for fighters who just get knocked over. That’s why I picked Hammer and we’re going to have a good fight.

Christian Hammer (26-7, 16 KO’s)

Last time I was in England I beat a local hero David Price and I’m very happy to be here again. Hughie is from the Fury family but he’s not Tyson Fury. He’s younger and less experienced. I’m here to win and to put on a good show. I will try to break him and win the fight. I hope he isn’t just running. I am here to stand like a man and fight. We’re here to fight not run a marathon.

Peter Fury (Trainer)

Christian Hammer is a fighter, he comes to fight and he comes to win. He’s a tough man. He will give it his all and I am expecting a good fight. That’s why we picked a fighter like Hammer. We’re not interested in walkovers, where people take a shot and fall over. Christian Hammer doesn’t do that and it’s another test for Hughie.

It’s a no-surrender businesses. There’s no playing boxing. We’re here to do a job and get it done properly. Hughie will fight to the last drop of blood in his body. The only time he’s going out on the floor is if he’s out cold. If he’s got any breath in him, if his heart is pumping, he’s getting up. That’s what he’s brought up to do. They’re fighters, this is a warrior sport.

Wanik Awidjan (28-0-1, 11 KO’s) (faces Chris Eubank Jr)

As soon as I got the call to fight Chris Eubank I absolutely did not hesitate. It’s my opportunity to do to show what I can do. Actually everyone is beatable. He’s human and he’s got two losses. I’m pretty sure I will surprise everyone in the arena on Saturday.

Chris Eubank Jr (30-2, 22 KO’s) (promoted by Wasserman Boxing)

Before you said the things you said on social media, you were just the guy I had to beat in order to get to the next guy. There was no malice, I didn’t like you or dislike you. But after seeing the things you said, now I have a reason to go out there and terrorise you. I hope you understand the position you’ve put yourself in.

Ben Shalom, BOXXER

[Newcastle] is buzzing at the moment. The whole city is behind the club, the whole city is behind the sport and we’re feeling the effects of it. And so to come up here on Saturday night, just before the first home game [since the takeover news] is unbelievable. And there’s a massive, massive presence from Geordie fighters on the card as well.

Adam Smith, Head of Boxing Development at Sky Sports

It’s an amazing place, Newcastle. It’s a sporting city long seen as a sleeping giant both in football terms and in boxing terms, but not any more.

It’s takeover time for the football and, as far as boxing goes, we love coming here. We brought Prince Naseem, Joe Calzaghe, Nigel Benn, so many over the years, but I think this is the start of something new.

Marshall-Muzeya BOXXER press conference quotes & photos | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)

For the list of boxing events we will cover live with and with unofficial scorecard (main event), click the following link > Live Boxing Results & Events<

14 October 2021

Marshall, Fury & Eubank Jr. headline this Saturday – Ritson withdraws

Boxen247.com Boxing News April Hunter, BOXXER, Brad Rea, Chris Eubank Jr., christian hammer, Georgia O’Connor, Hughie Fury, Jez Smith, Kirstie Bavington, Lewis Ritson, Lolita Muzeya, Mark Dickinson, Marshall vs. Muzeya, Michael Webster, Reece Barlow, Savannah Marshall, Savannah Marshall vs. Lolita Muzeya, Steve Robinson, Wanik Awdijan 0

Marshall, Fury & Eubank Jr. headline this Saturday - Ritson withdraws | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)

Savannah Marshall vs. Lolita Muzeya

Utilita Arena, Birmingham, England 16/10/21

The North East’s brightest new boxing talents Steve Robinson, Michael Webster, April Hunter, Georgia O’Connor and Mark Dickinson are ready to represent their region this Saturday night.

Headlining this Saturday’s action-packed BOXXER event at the Utilita Arena, live and exclusive on Sky Sports, Hartlepool star Savannah Marshall is making the second defence of her WBO World Middleweight title against the undefeated challenger Lolita Muzeya; World heavyweight title contender Hughie Fury faces hard German Christian Hammer and British star Chris Eubank Jr. tackles dangerous German Wanik Awdijan.

Lewis Ritson was scheduled to face American Hank Lundy on the show in his first fight back following his loss to Jeremias Ponce in June this year, but has today been forced to withdraw from the card due to illness.

For heavyweight sensation Steve Robinson, this is a great opportunity for him to showcase that he can be the next big prospect to rise up in the talent packed and competitive division. The Ivan Drago lookalike who is undefeated in three fights, two by KO, goes by the nickname USSR and will face Manchester’s Reece Barlow over four rounds.

A talented footballer at Newcastle United’s Centre of Excellence until a knee injury ended her career, April Hunter has found more success with her fists after switching to boxing. Newcastle’s first female professional boxer in 30 years, welterweight Hunter is undefeated in four fights and faces Pensnett’s Kirstie Bavington.

Making her professional debut will be the multi-decorated Team GB member Georgia O’Connor who will compete in the super-welterweight division. O’Conner won gold at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games and silver at the World Youth Games in the same year.

Also making his entry in the pro-ranks will be the eight-time National Champion, Gold medallist at the Youth Commonwealth Games and the European Youth Championships and Team GB member, Mark Dickinson.

Finally, the undercard features a highly anticipated trade fight in the domestic middleweight division between Manchester starlet Brad Rea and Harrow Weald’s battle-hardened Jez Smith.

For the list of boxing events we will cover live with and with unofficial scorecard (main event), click the following link > Live Boxing Results & Events<

Savannah Marshall vs. Lolita Muzeya

Marshall, Eubank Jr & Fury win & BOXXER results & 89 image gallery

Savannah Marshall vs. Lolita Muzeya

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Marshall, Fury, Eubank Jr, Hammer BOXXER weights & huge photo gallery

Savannah Marshall vs. Lolita Muzeya

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Marshall-Muzeya BOXXER press conference quotes & photos

Savannah Marshall vs. Lolita Muzeya

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Marshall, Fury & Eubank Jr. headline this Saturday – Ritson withdraws

Savannah Marshall vs. Lolita Muzeya

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