Beyond The Ropes: Savannah Tini

Beyond The Ropes: Savannah Tini

Savannah Tini is fast-approaching an opportunity to become a world champion. The 26-year-old American is unbeaten in seven fights, and that maiden world title chance could materialise within the next twelve months.

Born and raised in Michigan, Tini was a somewhat reluctant boxer. The sporting life started elsewhere, and it was only the persistence of a friend that prompted the move to boxing.

“I played soccer growing up,” Tini told FightPost over Zoom. “But one of my friends, who I grew up with, always boxed. He would always beg me to go boxing with him. My dad had a boxing bag in the basement that was from his father, and I would always hit it. But nothing serious. I stopped playing soccer in my senior year of high school. My friend said I had run out of excuses, and said just come and try a class. I told him I would try one class, but don’t ever ask again. I went and thought this was fun, and I said I would come again. One thing led to another, and within six months of training, I was already signed up for my first fight.”

“It was the competitiveness,” Tini added, of why boxing was such an attraction to her. “When I was young, I was like that. Even just racing my sister upstairs, I wanted to win. So when I lost soccer, I was still craving that competitive nature. With boxing and in the gym, there were probably only two girls in there. It was still really new, and I saw that, and I realised how hard it was to get a fight. It motivated me more to be a part of this. Why can’t girls fight? It pretty much sums up who I am. I always wanted to go against what people said was the norm. So it was a mixture of the two that drove me to boxing specifically.”

Tini had over twenty fights as an amateur. She rolled the dice many times. Fighting heavier and elite fighters to get valuable rounds in the bank. But even in her early days, Tini knew her boxing future lay elsewhere.

“From very early on, I realised I didn’t have an amateur style,” Tini told me. “After about four fights, I said I don’t care who you have me go against. We took hard fights, even with Olympic team members. It wasn’t about getting the win; my amateur record isn’t amazing. I just have a couple more wins than losses. We knew the game plan was to get experience. We wanted to get as much experience as we could and see as many different styles and fighters as we could. As soon as we were ready, we knew we were going to turn professional.”

After turning professional in 2023, Tini remains unbeaten. Seven fights. Seven wins. A gradual increase in competition with every outing. Tini is more than happy with her progress. “I think it’s going good. It’s not a padded record. I think with each fight we have stepped up. That is our plan going forward. Just to level up each time we fight until we get to the big names.”

At the moment, Tini is happy staying in the super-lightweight ranks. “I see myself staying at 140 for a while,” Tini says. “I feel like I fit more there. It makes more sense for me. I wouldn’t rule out going to 135, but right now, I am pretty comfortable at 140.”

Tini is moving along quite nicely, and the aim for 2026 is getting more experience before the inevitable assault on the world titles. “This year is about staying active and getting as many fights as I can. Getting my name out there as much as I can, and just showing who Savannah Tini is as a fighter. I want to get in the ring again in June.”

“There are a few names that are being mentioned,” Tini added when I asked about any potential future opponents. “There is Edith Soledad Matthysse, who just beat Sam Worthington, which was obviously an upset. That would be a fun fight. We are both pressure fighters. It would be constant action, which the fans love, and I love. So, we’ll see. It is whoever they want to throw at me, and what makes sense, so we can keep climbing that ladder.”

With Katie Taylor currently holding three of the world super-lightweight titles and her retirement is only one fight away, Tini could be in a position to fight for one of those vacant baubles. But the unbeaten American wants to make sure that she takes the right fight at the right time.

“It’s definitely an exciting time for sure,” Tini says. “It’s not a lack of confidence in myself; I know what I can. However, I see other fighters rush and take an opportunity that just doesn’t make sense. We are not rushing. Ideally, before the end of this year or by early 2027, I want to be near a spot for a title. If it comes a little earlier, depending on my next opponents, then I am all for it. But I don’t want to take an opportunity that doesn’t align with my development as a fighter.”

Savannah Tini is still somewhere near the beginning of her boxing life. At 26, time is very much on her side. She has the usual ambitions of becoming a world champion. But her overall aspirations run a little deeper when I ask her what ultimately she wants out of the sport.

“I could answer it with the generic answer of becoming undisputed; every fighter wants that, and that is definitely a goal of mine. But the deeper goal of my purpose in boxing is animal rescue, which is something I am really passionate about, specifically, abused and abandoned animals. I want to put more eyes on adoption. I also want to inspire others, especially younger girls. I want to show them that just because someone says you can’t, it doesn’t mean that you can’t. I want to show them that they can. I want to be known not just for what I’ll achieve in the ring with becoming undisputed, but what I did with the platform boxing gives me, and that’s to leave a presence that inspires action.”