Former undisputed super middleweight champion Savannah Marshall could be stripped of another title following the WBC’s decision to vacate her WBC title and designate her as a champion-in-recess. Now, the WBO sanctioning body is eager to receive an update on Marshall’s injury status, and the organization has revealed its intention to strip Marshall if she cannot provide a full analysis of her injury and her potential return to the ring.
Earlier this year, on July 1st, Savannah Marshall (13-1, 10 KO’s) defeated Franchon Crews-Dezurn (8-2-2, 2 KO’s) to become the undisputed women’s super middleweight champion. In September, however, due to an injury that Marshall apparently sustained, the WBC forcibly relinquished her title and placed her as a champion-in-recess, allowing her the opportunity to challenge for the WBC super middleweight title once she recovers.
Although it took the WBO roughly a month to respond after the WBC’s initial decision to strip Marshall of her title, the sanctioning body has now sent an official notice to Boxxer chairman Ben Shalom and Savannah Marshall, requesting clarification on her injury status or the risk of being stripped.
As revealed by the WBO, the organization relied on reports from media outlets to learn about Marshall’s supposed injury status, and they have now demanded a comprehensive medical examination by Marshall to verify this news. WBO has also dictated that Marshall and her team have 10 days starting from October 31st to show proof of injury.
Marshall’s promoter, Boxxer, has been silent on the topic of Marshall’s injury status, which is seen as negligence. In addition to her injury, Marshall has signed a contract with the MMA promotion PFL, which may affect her ability to defend her titles. Notably, the WBO did not include this assessment in their notice to Boxxer, but Marshall’s contractual status with the PFL raises doubts about her future in the division and her ability to defend her titles as a result.
Failure by Marshall to provide the required medical information to assure the WBO that she has a legitimate injury will result in her being stripped of her WBO title, potentially leaving her with just two world titles, the WBA and the IBF.
As mentioned earlier, her obligations with the PFL also cast doubt on her ability to be an active champion in the division, and confirmation of her medical status does not guarantee that she will be able to defend her remaining world titles in a timely manner, if at all.
According to Boxxer-affiliated media platform Sky Sports, Savannah Marshall is set to undergo hand surgery and has been speculated to return in 2024 to face the winner between Shadasia Green (13-0, 11 KO’s) and Franchon Crews-Dezurn, who will be fighting for the vacant WBC super middleweight title on December 15th.
