Hannah Rankin

Last updated

Hannah Rankin
Born (1990-07-21) 21 July 1990 (age 34)
Luss, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Other namesThe Classical Warrior [1]
Statistics
Weight(s)
Height5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record [2]
Total fights21
Wins13
Wins by KO3
Losses8

Hannah Rankin (born 21 July 1990) is a Scottish professional boxer and bare-knuckle boxer. In boxing she has held the WBA and IBO female super-welterweight World titles.

Contents

Early life

Hannah Rankin was born on 21 July 1990 and grew up on her family's Edentaggart farm in Luss, Argyll and Bute. [3] As a child, she attended Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, [4] and gained an interest in contact sports at aged nine after enrolling in taekwondo classes with her younger sister. [5] Aside from sports she also had an interest in music, learning to play the flute at school and eventually switching to the bassoon. As an accomplished bassoonist, she attended the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, and later the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she earned a master's degree in 2016. [6] She continues her musical career alongside boxing, teaching music to children and performing in her quintet "Coriolis" at care homes and schools. [7]

Professional boxing career

Rankin made her professional debut on 21 May 2017, against Ester Konecna at the SkyLark Hotel in Essex, England, winning via points decision (PTS) over six rounds. [8] She fought a further three times in 2017; a points decision win over Borislava Goranova in September; [9] a split decision (SD) loss to Joanna Ekedahl in October; [10] and a points decision win in a rematch with Ester Konecna in November. [11]

She started 2018 with a first-round technical knockout (TKO) win over Klaudia Vigh in January, [12] before facing Sarah Turunen for her first professional title on 16 June 2018, at the Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley, Scotland. Rankin won via unanimous decision (100–90, 100–91, 99–91) over ten rounds to capture the vacant WBC Silver female middleweight title. [13]

Two months later, she made her first attempt at a world title on 4 August 2018, challenging reigning world champion Alicia Napoleon for the WBA female super-middleweight title at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Rankin lost by unanimous decision with one judge scoring the bout 99–91, and the other two scoring it 98–92, all in favour of Napoleon. [14]

In her next fight, Rankin made a second attempt at world honours on 17 November 2018, against two-time Olympic gold medalist and reigning unified WBA and IBF female middleweight champion, Claressa Shields, with the vacant WBC title also up for grabs. The bout took place at the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas. Shields was originally scheduled to face undefeated WBO middleweight champion Christina Hammer, who pulled out due to illness. [15] Rankin suffered the third loss of her professional career via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the bout 100–90 in a contest that many outlets described as a dominant performance by Shields. [16] [17] [18] [19]

Following a points decision win over Eva Bajic in January 2019, [20] Rankin made a third attempt for a world title against Sarah Curran on 15 June 2019, for the vacant IBO super-welterweight title. The bout took place at the Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley, Scotland. Rankin scored a ten-round unanimous decision victory, with all three judges scoring the bout 96–94, to become Scotland's first female world champion. [21] After a six-round unanimous decision win over Erin Toughill in a non-title bout in October, Rankin made the first defence of her title against undefeated WBC interim champion Patricia Berghult on 27 November 2019, at the Hotel Intercontinental in St. Julian's, Malta. In a fight that saw Rankin dropped in the first-round by a left hook, she lost her IBO title by unanimous decision over ten rounds. Two judges scored the bout 96–93 while the third scored it 95–94, all in favour of Berghult. [22]

Rankin regained the vacant IBO title and claimed the vacant WBA female super-welterweight World belt with a unanimous decision win over Maria Lindberg in London on 5 November 2021. [23]

In her second defense of the titles, Rankin suffered a unanimous decision loss to England's Terri Harper in Nottingham on 24 September 2022. [24]

Rankin attempted to become a three-time world champion when she took on Slovenia's Ema Kozin for the vacant WBC and WBO female super-welterweight titles in Manchester on 18 November 2023 but lost by split decision. [25]

Bare-knuckle boxing career

In October 2024, it was announced that Rankin had signed for the Conor McGregor supported Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). [26] [27] She made her debut for the promotion at BKFC on DAZN: Tenaglia vs. Soto in Marbella, Spain, on 12 October 2024, with a five-round split decision win over Deborah Melhorn. Two ringside judges gave Rankin the fight 49-46 while the third scored it for Melhorn 48-47. [28] [29]

Rankin faced Jessica Borga for the inaugural BKFC Women's Featherweight Championship at BKFC 72 Dubai: Day 2 on April 5, 2025 at the Dubai Tennis Stadium in Dubai, UAE. [30] She lost the fight by knockout in the first round. [31]

Professional boxing record

21 fights13 wins8 losses
By knockout31
By decision107
No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
21Loss13–8Naomi MannesSD826 April 2024Knowsley Leisure and Culture Park, Huyton, England
20Loss13–7 Ema Kozin SD1018 November 2023 Manchester Arena, Manchester, EnglandLost challenge for the vacant WBC and WBO female super-welterweight titles
19Win13–6Logan HollerPTS1010 March 2023 The Hangar Events Venue, Wolverhampton, England
18Loss12–6 Terri Harper UD1025 Sept 2022 Nottingham Arena, Nottingham, EnglandLost WBA and IBO super-welterweight titles
17Win12–5Alejandra AyalaTKO10 (10) 1:1513 May 2022 The SSE Hydro, Glasgow, ScotlandRetained WBA and IBO super-welterweight titles
16Win11–5 Maria Lindberg UD105 Nov 2021 Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, EnglandWon vacant WBA and IBO super-welterweight titles
15Win10–5

Kholosa Ndobayini

PTS812 Mar 2021

Pollsmoor Prison Hall, Cape Town, South Africa

14Loss9–5 Savannah Marshall TKO7 (10), 1:59 31 Oct 2020 The SSE Arena, London, EnglandFor vacant WBO female middleweight title
13Win9–4Eva BajicTKO3 (8), 1:518 Feb 2020Lagoon Leisure Center, Paisley, Scotland
12Loss8–4 Patricia Berghult UD1027 Nov 2019Hotel Intercontinental, St. Julian's, MaltaLost IBO female super-welterweight title;
For WBC interim female super-welterweight title
11Win8–3 Erin Toughill UD65 Oct 2019 Dort Federal Event Center, Flint, Michigan, US
10Win7–3Sarah CurranUD1015 Jun 2019Lagoon Leisure Centre, Paisley, ScotlandWon vacant IBO female super-welterweight title
9Win6–3Eva BajicPTS825 Jan 2019Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow, Scotland
8Loss5–3 Claressa Shields UD1017 Nov 2018 Kansas Star Arena, Mulvane, Kansas, USFor WBA, IBF, and vacant WBC female middleweight titles
7Loss5–2 Alicia Napoleon UD104 Aug 2018 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, USFor WBA female super-middleweight title
6Win5–1Sanna TurunenUD1016 Jun 2018Lagoon Leisure Centre, Paisley, ScotlandWon vacant WBC Silver female middleweight title
5Win4–1Klaudia VighTKO1 (8), 0:5926 Jan 2018 Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow, Scotland
4Win3–1Ester KonecnaPTS810 Nov 2017 York Hall, London, England
3Loss2–1Joanna EkedahlSD421 Oct 2017 Oslofjord Convention Center, Stokke, Norway
2Win2–0Borislava GoranovaPTS622 Sep 2017Westcroft Leisure Centre, London, England
1Win1–0Ester KonecnaPTS621 May 2017SkyLark Hotel, Southend, England

Bare-knuckle boxing record

Professional record breakdown
2 matches1 win1 loss
By knockout01
By decision10
Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Loss1–1Jessica BorgaKO BKFC 72 Dubai: Day 2 April 5, 202510:32 Dubai, United Arab EmiratesFor the inaugural BKFC Women's Featherweight Championship.
Win1–0Deborah MelhornDecision (split) BKFC on DAZN: Tenaglia vs. Soto October 12, 202452:00 Marbella, Spain

References

  1. "Boxrec profile of Hannah Rankin". Boxrec.com. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  2. "Boxing record for Hannah Rankin". BoxRec .
  3. McNair, Andrew (1 December 2017). "Loch Lomond woman hitting the right notes in dual classical music and boxing career". dailyrecord. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  4. "Boxer Hannah Rankin launches crowdfunding world champion bid". Helensburgh Advertiser. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  5. "Career as a classical musician prepared Hannah Rankin for the boxing ring". The Ring. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  6. "Hannah Rankin – alumna profile – Royal Academy of Music". ram.ac.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  7. "Hannah Rankin: The classical musician who is a boxing world champion". 5 July 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  8. "BoxRec: Bout". boxrec.com. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  9. "BoxRec: Bout". boxrec.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  10. "BoxRec: Bout". boxrec.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  11. "BoxRec: Bout". boxrec.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  12. "Hannah Rankin Makes Quick and Impressive Work of Klaudia Vigh in her Scotland Homecoming". 27 January 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  13. "Hannah Rankin Claims the WBC Silver Middleweight Championship Over a Tough Sanna Turunen". 17 June 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  14. "Alicia Napoleon Retains her WBA Super Middleweight Championship with Unanimous Decision Victory over Hannah Rankin". 5 August 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  15. News 24, Boxing (27 October 2018). "Claressa Shields faces Hannah Rankin on DAZN on November 17 ⋆ Boxing News 24". Boxing News 24. Retrieved 9 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. "Claressa Shields outclasses determined Hannah Rankin to remain unbeaten". The Ring. 17 November 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  17. "Shields adds third belt, Rios returns with TKO". ESPN. 18 November 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  18. "Scottish boxer Hannah Rankin loses to Claressa Shields by unanimous decision". britishboxingnews.co.uk. 18 November 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  19. "Claressa Shields Dominates Hannah Rankin, Wins Decision". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  20. "BoxRec: Bout". boxrec.com. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  21. "Hannah Rankin wins IBO super-welterweight title". 15 June 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  22. "Hannah Rankin loses world title to Patricia Berghult on points". 27 November 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  23. "Hannah Rankin Decisions Maria Lindberg To Wins WBA, IBO Titles". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  24. "Terri Harper beats Hannah Rankin to become new WBA super-welterweight champion". Sky Sports. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  25. "Rankin suffers agonising defeat in bid to become unified world champ". The Herald. 18 November 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  26. "Luss fighter Hannah Rankin aiming to make history on Bare Knuckle debut". Daily Record. 6 October 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  27. "Hannah Rankin: Conor McGregor has taken me under his wing". The National. 12 October 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  28. "Former boxing world champion is almost unrecognizable after bare-knuckle debut that had Conor McGregor raving". bloodyelbow.com. 12 October 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  29. "BKFC Spain Results: Tenaglia vs. Soto". mmafighting.com. 12 October 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  30. Iskenderov, Parviz (19 February 2025). "BKFC Dubai: Britain Hart faces Tai Emery, Hannah Rankin meets Jessica Borga". FIGHTMAG.
  31. Iskenderov, Parviz (6 April 2025). "Kai Stewart defeats Tommy Strydom to retain 145-pound title at BKFC 72". FIGHTMAG.
Sporting positions
Minor world boxing titles
Vacant
Title last held by
Kelly Morgan
WBC Silver female middleweight champion
16 June 2018 – November 2018
Fought for full title
Vacant
Vacant
Title last held by
Mikaela Laurén
IBO female super-welterweight champion
15 June 2019 – 27 November 2019
Succeeded by