(OCT 13) London, England’s
Marianne Marston is set for the toughest fight of her career to
date, when she squares off against Mdantsane, South Africa’s
Unathi Myekeni in a World Bantamweight Unification contest, at
York Hall in London, on Sunday 6th December.
British #1, Marston was hoping to
challenge interim WBC Bantamweight Champion Christina Mc Mahon
for her title this October, however Mc Mahon was offered the
opportunity to challenge Alicia Ashley for the WBC Super
Bantamweight crown in New York on the 29th October, a golden
opportunity the talented Irishwoman just couldn’t turn down.
With no championship bout on the immediate horizon Marston had
decided to take on a non-championship bout at York Hall on
October 23rd, then earlier this month she was offered the
opportunity to challenge Myekeni in South Africa early in 2016,
by World Boxing Federation President Howard Goldberg.
Some slick negotiations by Marston’s team and London promoter
Mark Lyons, along with support from her sponsors Monarch
Communications, BoxFit UK, Optimax and 3X Sports, the contest
was bought forward to December and moved to London.
Marston, who secured the MBC International title, as well as the
World #24 ranking, in October last year with a shut out points
win over Marianna Gulyas, to line her up for the shot at a World
title, however since that win Marston has only fought the once,
beating Riga, Latvia’s Jekaterina Lecko by second round stoppage
back in August.
Her opponent on the 6th December, Unathi Myekeni, is far more
experienced, both competition wise, as well as Championship
wise, and has previously held both the World Boxing Federation
and World Boxing Foundation International titles as well as the
World Boxing Federation Super Bantamweight World Crown.
In her last contest, Myekeni fought and lost by majority
decision to fellow South African Gabisile Tshabalala for the WBF
Super Bantamweight title.
Speaking earlier Marston spoke briefly about the upcoming fight,
“I cannot begin to express how pleased I am to still get to
fight for a World title this year and the fact it will be a
unification of four titles makes it even more special.
When Christina told us she has the opportunity to fight in
America for the WBC full title and as such our fight wouldn’t go
ahead this year, I was really disappointed.
Don’t get me wrong I’m pleased for Christina, but from day one
of the discussions with her management we had been preparing for
that fight, everything we had been working on was to fight her,
we even tried to get an opponent that was similar in style to
her for the August fight, but so it goes.
Unfortunately I haven’t seen any of Unathi’s fights so don’t
know too much about her, hopefully we’ll have some video of her
title fights this week and then we can start looking for
suitable sparring partners and really get the camp started.
I can’t thank Howard (Goldberg) enough for giving me this
opportunity, as well as Ryan (WIBA President Ryan Wissow) and
Don (WBU & WIBC President Don Lewis) for their allowing me to
fight for their titles too, as well as Mark (Promoter Mark
Lyons) and my wonderful sponsors Monarch Communications, Optimax,
Boxfit UK and 3X Sports for them being right behind me and
giving me the opportunity of participate in this historic
unification bout, what’s more right here in London.
I also have to thank my wonderful fans, they really are
fantastic, so supportive and very, very noisy, hopefully we’ll
have a full house at York Hall on December 6th, if we do they’ll
raise the roof when I fight, that’s for sure.”
