Savannah Marshall a 'happier fighter' as she makes weight for bout with Franchon Crews-Dezurn

Franchon Crews-Dezurn and Savannah Marshall have both lost to Claressa Shields

Savannah Marshall is "a happier fighter" at super-middleweight after comfortably weighing in for Saturday's undisputed world-title bout against Franchon Crews-Dezurn in Manchester.

The 32-year-old Briton hit the scales at 11st 13lb, with American champion Crews-Dezurn weighing the same.

Marshall moved up a division after losing her WBO middleweight title to Claressa Shields in October.

"This is more my natural weight," she told BBC Sport.

"I always made middle but it was always a tight squeeze for me. This time I've had more energy, I've been able to eat a lot more instead of cutting down as much.

"I'm a lot bigger and my body has had time to grow. I'm a happier fighter at super-middleweight."

Marshall was given a great reception and smiled in the face of Crews-Dezurn as the defending champion got up close and personal during the final face-off.

Even after security stepped in to put some distance between the pair, Crews-Dezurn went back for a final verbal bite.

• Heated Marshall news conference becomes shouting match

• Jonas: For the first time, I am calling the shots

Marshall's plan is to "win at all costs" while Crews-Dezurn said she was not worried about the famed punching power of a woman with 10 knockouts in 12 wins.

"I went 12 rounds with a steroid cheat, I'm not worried about a first-place loser," she said.

Liverpool's Natasha Jonas successfully made weight for her IBF welterweight contest against Canada's Kandi Wyatt - the chief support at Manchester's AO Arena.

Jonas is a unified light-middleweight world champion but is dropping down a division to fight for the vacant belt.

The 39-year-old cut a relaxed figure as she weighed in at the same as her opponent - 10st 6lb - as she aims to become a two-weight world champion.

Marshall is moving weight to challenge for another undisputed championship

Crews-Dezurn and Marshall fought in the amateurs, with the Briton winning that contest

Analysis - Jonas & Marshall aim to ride wave of success

Jonas is a pioneer for women's boxing in Britain. She has her doubters, though. Some feel she has become a unified champion by targeting titles at light-middleweight, where the depth of talent is not as strong.

Wyatt is not expected to cause an upset. If Jonas does become a two-division champion, she says she will target a Katie Taylor rematch or a shot at Chantelle Cameron.

She is certainly deserving of another huge event and headline slot and has spoken openly about how much defeat by Taylor in the pros and the amateurs still sticks with her.

In the main event, Marshall aims to take advantage of a remarkably privileged position of fighting in back-to-back undisputed fights despite defeat in her last outing.

Crews-Dezurn has tried to rattle Marshall this week, taunting her about Shields and suggesting all of her opportunities have been handed to her.

Time will tell whether the shouting match at the news conference or the long shadow of Shields will have an effect on Marshall, but the Hartlepool native can follow in Chantelle Cameron's illustrious footsteps by becoming England's second undisputed champion on Saturday.

With Cameron's triumph over Taylor in Dublin, Sandy Ryan and Ellie Scotney joining Nina Hughes and Terri Harper as world champions, wins for Marshall and Jonas could bring to a close what has been an astonishing six months of world championship success for British female fighters in 2023.