IF THINGS had gone to plan for Savannah Marshall, she would have spent this week teaching PE at a school in her hometown of Hartlepool.

But instead she's preparing for her professional boxing debut on the undercard of arguably the biggest combat sports event in history when her new promoter Floyd Mayweather takes on Conor McGregor.

5 Savannah Marshall will make her professional debut in Las Vegas this weekend Credit: Getty

5 Savannah Marshall with Floyd Mayweather (right) and Leonard Ellerbe (left) last year Credit: Reuters

Marshall, the former world amateur champion and two-time Olympian, considered knocking boxing on the head earlier this year and pursuing a career in education.

That was until a shock offer from Mayweather to turn professional with his promotional company changed her life for good.

Now she is calling the famous MGM Grand her home before she moves into a Vegas apartment permanently next week.

“It hasn't all hit me yet,” she says after her open workout in front of hundreds of fight fans in the hotel's lobby.

“It will hit me on Saturday but at the moment I'm just enjoying it.

“When I first heard about the interest from Mayweather I couldn't believe it. I was thinking 'why do they want me?'

“It was only January when I was thinking about quitting. I didn't want to stay amateur, I didn't have an Olympic medal and I didn't want to be selling tickets.



5 Savannah Marshall with her Commonwealth gold medal won at Glasgow 2014 Credit: Getty Images

“I had just finished a degree and I was going to go into teaching PE.

“Then this came along.”

But the softly-spoken middleweight – known as the Silent Assassin - has felt a long way from home as she gets to grips with life in Sin City.

She said: “I've just been sat in my room for most of my time with the air con on.

“When I've been getting up in the morning at 7am there are people sat on the slot machines and I just think 'go to bed'.

“But it's Las Vegas isn't it? The city that never sleeps.

“This is my first time over here but I'm here for good now.

“They've sorted my out an apartment away from the strip and I move in next week.”

Before setting off for Nevada, Marshall spent time sharpening her tools under Peter Fury, the trainer and uncle of former world heavyweight king Tyson.

5 Savannah Marshall will make her debut on the biggest stage of all at T-Mobile Arena this weekend Credit: Sportsfile

And she says her stint in their Bolton gym has hardened her up just in time for the big switch to Vegas.

“It was gritty,” she said. “It has put me in good stead because I walked into a gym full of men who aren't used to women boxing.

“Then when I walked in the gym here I wasn't bothered because I've been with Peter.

“It was brilliant for me. I really rate Peter and he's a really nice man. I like what he teaches as well.”

And she could be about to hook up with another esteemed trainer as Floyd Mayweather Sr, the Money man's coach and father, is an option for her.

Her old amateur coach will work her corner on Saturday before her manager, DeJuan Blake, arranges her next move in the coming weeks.

There is already a huge fight on the horizon as her old amateur rival Claressa Sheilds, the brilliant American two-time Olympic gold medalist, wants revenge.

5 The fight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor is one of the biggest in history Credit: Sportsfile

Marshall is the only woman on the planet to beat Shields after claiming a stunning win at the 2012 world amateur championships before going on to claim the gold.

Now the pair are on a collision course for what would go down as perhaps the biggest fight ever in professional women's boxing.

But the 26-year-old says she in no rush for a rematch as she plots long-term riches over a quick fix.

Marshall said: “I think she would want it tomorrow.

“If I won a world title this year then where will I go from there? I won't make any money and nobody would want to fight me afterwards.

“I want to build it, we need to build it and we both have to keep winning.

“I've improved since we last fought and so has she. Fair play to her for going to win gold.

“But those Olympic medals are over-rated, that's what I've heard. Who wants one of them anyway?”