'Heavy-Hitting Diva': Baltimore Boxer Franchon Crews-Dezurn Gears Up To Defend WBC, WBO Titles
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Baltimore Ravens have a big game Saturday, but there's another local athlete who, at the very same time, will be competing at the peak of her sport.
Franchon Crews-Dezurn is one of the most decorated local athletes you may never have heard of. She's set to defend her World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization Super Middleweight world titles on Saturday night in San Antonio, Texas. And Crews-Dezurn said she's ready to take it all.
"I'm the most-accomplished boxer ... in this area," she said. "I'm one of the most decorated boxers in USA boxing history. I'm the fifth World Champion of this area and the only female World Champion from Baltimore."
That's not boasting; that's confidence, and confidence is what it takes to get in a ring and fight the finest female boxers in the world.
In September, Crews-Dezurn beat Maricela Cornejo in ten rounds to defend her WBC Super Middleweight title and winning the WBO.
"I just do what I do. The recognition will come," she said. "I do it for the love of the sport."
That love began at age 15 when she walked into a North Avenue boxing gym to try and lose weight. At 6-1, she's hardly lost a fight.
"I just now try to fight smarter rather than harder, but I can always fight hard when I need to," Crews-Dezurn said.
Big-time "golden boy" promoters now handle Crews-Dezurn, but her husband Glenn, who's also a professional boxer, keeps her on track.
"When I'm down he's like, 'Look, big mama, you gotta keep it going,' and he's real with me," she said.
"She knows I love her," Dezurn said. "I just let her know how great she is."
Crews-Dezurn isn't just great inside the ring; she can sing and design clothing and cared for her mother for 12 years before her untimely death.
"Everything I do now is just to make sure it's not in vain. Everything she did for me and everything we went through together is not in vain," Crews-Dezurn said.
Crews-Dezurn will defend her titles Saturday night and hopes to win two more to become the undefeated world champion. The fight will be streamed exclusively on DAZN.
