Would Marshall Have Defeated Ragosina
Savannah Marshall holds three of the four belts at super middleweight, and 2024 is set to be a big year for the fighter from Hartlepool. Can she win the fourth belt? Will she impress in her PFL debut? Natascha Ragosina retired from boxing as an undefeated super middleweight, but would she have been as successful in the same era as Marshall?
Marshall Heading Toward Crews-Dezurn II
Savannah Marshall defeated Franchón Crews-Dezurn back in July 2023. The win allowed the Englishwoman to win all four belts in the super middleweight division. This was a radical success after suffering her first-ever career loss the year prior, losing to Claressa Shields. Now at a 13-1 overall record, she wants to parade her success over the division and keep making trending boxing news in the process.
Unfortunately, a hand injury took her out of any immediate plans to defend her straps. The WBC went as far as to remove her as their champion. Crews-Dezurn ended up winning the vacant championship. Ultimately, this re-match is still the biggest fight in the division to unify the belts again. Yet if Ragosina was active in this era, there would be no doubt that she would make a very competitive bout for Marshall.
Ragosina From Very Different Era of Women’s Boxing
Natascha Ragosina (sometimes spelled Natalia Ragozina), affectionately known as Miss Sledgehammer, won all 22 of her professional fights between 2004 and 2009. She conquered the super middleweight and even heavyweight divisions by holding multiple titles across these divisions. While she retired undefeated, she was from a very different era of women’s boxing, making a compelling case as to whether she could hold her own against the contemporary super middleweight
Firstly, she was only active for five years. Granted, she fought 22 fights in five years, but the time in the ring wasn’t that much compared to other fighters who have stayed active for long durations to battle contenders from multiple generations. Ragosina, with only half a decade in the ring, only got a small sample of the contenders out there. Of course, there were fewer female fighters, especially at her weight competing in 2009, but Ragosina could have gone down the weight ranks or waited for new contenders to emerge.
Similar Extra-Curricular Activities
Both Savannah Marshall and Natascha Ragosina have embarked on additional combat sports pastimes to complement their boxing pursuits. The Russian fighter participated extensively in kickboxing competitions, famously winning three gold medals at the WAKO World Championships at three different tournaments. After dominating that sport, she transitioned to boxing.
Conversely, Marshall started her fighting activity as a pure boxer. She is keeping her vigor and enthusiasm for it but intends to participate in MMA in tandem, having signed a contract with the Professional Fighters League, making MMA breaking news with the announcement. This hypothetical fight could take place in either the boxing ring or the cage, given both fighters’ experience across multiple disciplines.
In addition to their fighting, both combatants have very active social media accounts on Instagram. Marshall posts a lot about her training and upcoming fights, and she loves to pose in the gym and with her championship belts. She also comments on the contemporary boxing news & results. Ragosina celebrates motherhood on her page, expresses some political opinions, and even advertises some Russian pizza companies.
How would this Fight Play Out?
If these two were able to meet in their respective primes, they would most certainly define the super middleweight division with a single fight. Savannah Marshall arguably ‘goes for it’ more with her tenacious approach to KO boxing. However, the majority of her knockout wins came at the weight below, middleweight. Given that a fight with Natascha Ragosina would most likely be at super middleweight, there would be concerns as to whether Marshall could still utilize her power in this heavier division. The Englishwoman would, therefore, have to work behind the jab and wait for her opportunities, rather than going blood and thunder for the finish.
Ragosina is arguably more comfortable in this weight class than Marshall, meaning that she would be able to box with more freedom. Throughout her career, she was known to land power punches that could finish fights. While looking for the KO win, she would work Marshall’s midsection to make her yet even more uncomfortable in this fight.
All of this aside, the unknown attribute is just how much women’s boxing has developed. Everyone knows the quality has gone up, but there is no barometer to measure the past and present against one another. Ragosina’s undefeated status would most certainly be challenged if she and Marshall were in the same era.
Could this Fight Ever Have Happened?
When trying to look for a credible juncture for Natascha Ragosina and Savannah Marshall, astute fans will observe that there was no crossover in their respective careers. Ragosina fought her last match in December 2009. Marshall started training for boxing at age 12, but it wasn’t until 2017 that she made her professional debut. The Russian arguably retired a little too early at the age of 33.
If she had been active at the time Marshall broke onto the scene, she would have been 41 years old. While she would have certainly been on the older side, more and more fighters are extending their careers to this point and beyond. If she had fought her at this juncture, could she have remained undefeated against Marshall?
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