HANNAH RANKIN'S first fight in her bid to become a world champion for a third time is now just a month away.
The Luss boxer spoke to the Advertiser recently about her determination to bounce back after losing her WBA and IBO super-welterweight titles to Terri Harper in September.
And the first test of that resolve will come when the former Luss Primary and Hermitage Academy pupil takes on 31-year-old American Logan Holler at the Hangar Events Centre in Wolverhampton on Friday, March 10.
Posting on social media, Hannah wrote: “My next fight will be March 10 vs Logan Holler! Proud to also say Team Rankin Ltd will be working alongside @FightAcademyUK and J.J Crump and Sons.
“Putting that work in and can’t wait to get back under those lights!”
Rankin enjoyed a whirlwind 12 months in the sport in 2022, which saw her riding high in May as she successfully defended her World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Organization (IBO) super-welterweight titles against Alejandra Alaya, headlining a bustling event in the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, as friends and family looked on.
But she lost both titles after a surprise defeat to Yorkshire fighter Harper in Nottingham four months later, during which she sustained a nasty cut near her eye.
Speaking to the Advertiser in January, Hannah said “That was a tough one to take and the eye injury made it really difficult to see what was going on.
“I’m grateful to the person at the local hospital who stitched me back together at 4.30am after the fight. That’s professional sport, sometimes – you have to take the good with the bad.
“I hadn’t experienced a serious cut like that in the middle of the match before.
“Now I know how it feels and how to react in that situation; it was a good learning experience.
“In 2023, I’ll be regaining my world titles.
“There are a lot of exciting things happening in the women’s division at the moment, with some great fighters, but I’m right there in the mix and know what it’s like to be a champion – I’m coming for the titles, make no mistake.”
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