Savannah Marshall batters overmatched challenger then vows to end Claressa Shields within 'two minutes'

Sky Sports Boxing broadcast the second (non-Box Office) show since Matchroom moved their UK business to DAZN, and the Utilita Arena in Newcastle was certainly buzzing for a card filled with local talent. While super-lightweight hero Lewis Ritson falling off in fight week due to illness dampened the anticipation a tad, WBO middleweight champion Savannah Marshall, from nearby Hartlepool, was top of the bill for the first time in her young pro career.

If a home win was the plan, the challenger looked appropriate. Zambia’s Lolita Muzeya was unbeaten in 16 but had never boxed outside Africa and apparently had not fought heavier than super-welterweight previously. She was up against a big middleweight here and a hugely talented, heavy-hitting former World Amateur champion to boot.

Muzeya did her best to make u for the disparity in ability and pedigree with guts and effort. Unfortunately for her, that reckless aggression only served to put her in the middle of Marshall’s crosshairs. The champion took the measure of her challenger in the opener then set about blasting her apart in the next. Marshall landed everything – spiteful jabs, hard crosses, uppercuts, hooks and body shots – before the referee saved Muzeya from what would have been a nasty knockout near the end of the session.

The watching (on TV) Claressa Shields will have been impressed but may have noted the overmatched nature of the foe. Marshall remains the last person to have defeated Shields (in the amateurs) and vowed, ‘She won’t last two minutes with me.” The pair will share a bill on December 11 before meeting in 2022.

Chris Eubank Jr hasn’t had it easy since his last fight, in May. The middleweight contender suffered the tragic and premature loss of his brother Sebastian in July, then saw an outing at Wembley Arena two weeks ago – on the launch show for Sky Sports’ new era – scuppered when two opponents were ruled out in quick succession and at short notice.

In his second bout under trainer Roy Jones Jr, a legend and Hall of Fame lock for next year, Eubank took on Wanik Awdijan, an Armenian-born German who had mixed with moderate opposition but had not lost for over seven years.

Eubank, often a slow starter, used his jab as a range-finder early on against a competent, mobile southpaw (Boxrec list him as orthodox, which is what his adversary was expecting). The Brighton man employed his lead far more than we are accustomed to seeing, rodding the shot to head and body, working hooks and uppercuts off it. He was open to the straight left but once Eubank began opening up with fast combinations in round three, the Brit looked a class apart. Eubank, however, did not appear to be in much of a hurry, but his focus on the body slowed Awdijan significantly and the German was withdrawn at the close of round five.

The main heavyweight attraction of the night saw Manchester’s former WBO title challenger Hughie Fury, only beaten at world level, look to get his career moving under Sky Sports, taking on decent Romanian Christian Hammer who, in previous visits to these shores, had stopped David Price and been dominated by his opponent’s cousin, Tyson.

Tall, rangy Fury dictated the pace against a strong but seemingly less ambitious rival who nonetheless remained dangerous with long left hooks and rights over the top. Fury fought predominantly off the back foot, using a pawing jab and a sneaky right uppercut. Hammer was deducted a point in the fifth for hitting on the break and was under sustained pressure for the first time. It was only a mild surprise when Christian’s corner retired him at the end of that session, officially with a right biceps injury.