On January 28th, the IBF ordered its super middleweight champion Savannah Marshall (pictured) and its mandatory contender Melinda Watpool to begin negotiations for a title fight. An agreement was not reached within the time frame set forth by IBF, so the IBF has scheduled a purse bid for Tuesday, April 1st at 12 noon. Marshall won three of the four major super middleweight titles, and general recognition as the women's world champion by defeating Franchon Crews Dezurn in July 2023. However, Marshall (13-1) has not boxed since then, and now only holds the IBF title. (Marhsall did win a mixed martial arts fight in July 2024). Watpool, from Canada, is 7-1 but is coming off a split-decision loss in a WBO title bid against Shadasia Green.