Hannah Rankin


Hannah Rankin is a Scottish professional boxer and bassoonist. She held the IBO female super-welterweight title 2019, challenged once for the WBA female super-middleweight title in 2018 and once for the WBA, WBC, and IBF middleweight titles against Claressa Shields in 2018. As of April 2020, she is ranked as the seventh best active female super-welterweight by BoxRec.

Early life

Hannah Rankin was born on 21 July 1990 and grew up on her family's Edentaggart farm in Luss, Scotland. As a child, she attended Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh, Scotland, and gained an interest in contact sports at aged 9 after enrolling in taekwondo classes with her younger sister. 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. She continues her musical career alongside boxing, teaching music to children and performing in her quintet "Coriolis" at care homes and schools.

Professional career

Rankin made her professional debut on 21 May 2017, against Ester Konecna at the SkyLark Hotel in Essex, England, winning via points decision over six rounds. She fought a further three times in 2017; a points decision win over Borislava Goranova in September; a split decision loss to Joanna Ekedahl in October; and a points decision win in a rematch with Ester Konecna in November.
She started 2018 with a first-round technical knockout win over Klaudia Vigh in January, 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 over ten rounds to capture the vacant WBC Silver female middleweight title.
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.
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. 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.
Following a points decision win over Eva Bajic in January 2019, 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. 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.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
13Win9–4 Eva BajicTKO3, 1:518 Feb 2020
12Loss8–4 Patricia BerghultUD1027 Nov 2019Lost IBO female super-welterweight title;
For WBC interim female super-welterweight title
11Win8–3 Erin ToughillUD65 Oct 2019Dort Federal Event Center, Flint, Michigan, US.png" />
10Win7–3 Sarah CurranUD1015 Jun 2019Won vacant IBO female super-welterweight title
9Win6–3 Eva BajicPTS825 Jan 2019Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow, Scotland.png" />
8Loss5–3 Claressa ShieldsUD1017 Nov 2018Kansas Star Arena, Mulvane, Kansas, US.png" />For WBA, IBF, and vacant WBC middleweight titles
7Loss5–2 Alicia NapoleonUD104 Aug 2018Uniondale, New York, US.png" />For WBA female super-middleweight title
6Win5–1 Sanna TurunenUD1016 Jun 2018Won vacant WBC Silver female middleweight title
5Win4–1 Klaudia VighTKO1, 0:5926 Jan 2018Plaza Hotel, Glasgow, Scotland.png" />
4Win3–1 Ester KonecnaPTS810 Nov 2017York Hall, London, England.png" />
3Loss2–1 Joanna EkedahlSD421 Oct 2017Oslofjord Convention Center, Stokke, Norway.png" />
2Win2–0 Borislava GoranovaPTS622 Sep 2017Westcroft Leisure Centre, London, England.png" />
1Win1–0 Ester KonecnaPTS621 May 2017Southend, England.png" />