Friday 25 August 2017 10:14, UK
British Olympian Savannah Marshall is building towards one of the biggest fights in women's boxing after swapping Hartlepool for Las Vegas.
The former Sky Scholar will make her professional debut against Sydney LeBlanc on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather v Conor McGregor after being signed by Mayweather Promotions.
The 26-year-old eventually wants to move on and fight American amateur rival and double Olympic champion Claressa Shields.
But Marshall admits her career could have easily taken a different path.
"It was only in January (I was considering quitting) because I didn't want to stay amateur," said Marshall. "I didn't have an Olympic medal and I didn't want to be selling tickets. Then this came along.
"I was just finishing a degree so I was going to go into teaching PE, I did a sports degree. I gave (not boxing and living a normal life) a go for two months and I was just bored.
"I didn't think they were winding me up when I was told about interest from Mayweather Promotions but I did think, 'Why do they want me?'. I haven't got an Olympic medal but they want me because of Claressa Shields.
"I think (Shields) would want it tomorrow. But if I won a world title this year then where will I go from there? I won't make as much money. Who is going to fight me? There are not that many pros out there. I want to build it.
"It would be [one of the biggest women's fights ever]. I need to do well and I need to win. It doesn't get bigger than me and her. It was a while ago that I boxed her; I've improved and fair play to her as she has as well and won that Olympic gold medal."
