Franchon Crews-Dezurn doesn’t intend to go more than a year without taking the stage, but as 2024 draws to a close, The former undisputed women’s super middleweight champion hopes to return within the first few months of 2025.
She is also willing to change weight classes to make it happen.
Crews-Desurne has been in the 168-pound weight class since her debut in 2016, when she shared the ring with Claressa. Shields, in the first pro bout of two-time Olympic gold medalist Crews-Dezurn, lost a decision but went on to win the world title.
She won the vacant WBC belt in September 2018 with a majority decision over Maricela Cornejo. She then added the vacant WBO belt in a rematch against Cornejo in September 2019, this time winning a unanimous decision. And she became the undisputed champion in April 2022, surpassing IBF and WBA titleholder Elin Cederroos.
Crews-Dezurn’s time as undisputed champion ended 14 months later in her next defence. losing a majority decision to Savannah Marshall in July 2023, but she reclaimed the vacant WBC belt before the end of the year, defeating Shadasia Green by unanimous decision.
Crews-Dezurn, 37, said she was offered a sequel to Green but turned it down. Green returns and slashes Melinda. Watpool in November By grabbing the vacant WBO belt on the preliminary undercard of Jake Paul-Mike Tyson.
“It doesn’t make sense to me,” Crews-Dezuorn told BoxingScene. “It’s someone I’ve already beaten. They are not champions. And the proposal was not like that. I don’t feel like that. Especially if you’re promoting women’s boxing and you have Katie (Taylor) and Amanda (Serrano)… I’m the undisputed champion. I am very successful I just don’t have a big joint label. But I did that. Come cheap or not at all.”
Crews-Dezurn expressed interest in a rematch with Shields and Marshall.
Shields holds the WBO title at light heavyweight, the WBC title at heavyweight – which is over 168 pounds for sanctioned organizations – and will add the IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles. The available heavyweight matchup is on February 2 against Daniel Perkins (each of those organizations has a different minimum weight). (But you should expect both competitors to weigh closer to 175 than 200 pounds.)
Marshall has not boxed since her win over Crews-Dezeurne. and returned to compete in MMA instead. She is still the holder of the IBF title and lineal champion. But there were no more three belts.
Crews-Dezurn also mentioned Natasha Jonas and Oshae Jones and said she is open to moving up to heavyweight. or fall to middleweight or even junior middleweight.
“There’s a lot of girls out there, I want to get some real punches,” she said. “I’ve got a few pounds I can shed. I’m willing to push myself now because I haven’t been here for a long time. I’m here for a good time. As an amateur athlete I’m a pound-for-pound champion. And I just want to prove myself.”
