HANNAH Rankin could be just a month away from becoming a world champion for the second time.

The Luss boxer will fight Savannah Marshall for the WBO middleweight title at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle on Saturday, October 17 in a bout set to be broadcast live on Sky Sports.

It’ll be the former Hermitage Academy pupil’s first fight since her third round knockout defeat of Serbia’s Eva Bajic in February – after which the coronavirus lockdown put sporting action on hold around the world.

It’s also a step up in weight division for Rankin, 30, whose world title win against American Sarah Curran last year – and her shock loss at the hands of Sweden’s Patricia Berghult six months later ­– came in the super-welterweight class.

READ MORE: Rankin has title belt in sight on road to redemption

Announcing the news on her social media channels on Tuesday, Rankin said it was “time to put an end to the hype train”.

The bout is part of an undercard which will also feature Glasgow boxer Kash Farooq against an as-yet-unidentified opponent.

The headline bout on the card for next month’s event will see Newcastle’s Lewis Ritson defend his WBA inter-continental super-lightweight title against Mexico’s former world champion Miguel Vazquez.

Rankin’s opponent, Marshall, has an enviable record of six knockouts and two points wins from her eight fights since turning pro in the summer of 2017.

But next month’s fight will be the 29-year-old’s first in almost exactly a year, following her knockout defeat of American Ashleigh Curry at the same Newcastle venue last October.

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