A day before her defense of the undisputed super middleweight title against Savannah Marshall at the AO Arena in Manchester, England, Franchon Crews-Dezurn seemed relaxed.

Crews-Dezurn (8-1-0, 2 knockouts) says she was in England to prove a point: That The Ring super middleweight world champion wanted to prove she’s one of the best fighters in the world. At the time, Crews-Dezurn spoke in a low-volume, tempered manner, as opposed to the way she confronted Marshall (12-1-0, 10 KOs) the previous day, in a tirade.

Crews-Dezurn also wants to avenge a 14-12 points loss she suffered to Marshall as an amateur in 2011.

“I didn’t get the decision, which I felt in my heart was a little hometown cooking, and fought next to each other in the amateurs for years,” Crews-Dezurn said. “It is 12 years ago. I am a different person. If you’re not evolving, you’re not getting better. Everything I’ve been saying the last 10 years I want to show, I’m a singer, I’m a fashion designer, I’m a fighter. I’m all of those things. I’m ready. I’m relaxed.

“I’m like water. I can win any way I want to win. The reason why this fight is getting traction is because I’m the one doing the work. I don’t have a big-time promoter. Boxing don’t make me, I make boxing.”

Crews-Dezurn, 36, last fought Elin Cederroos on April 30, 2022, in New York, winning by 10-round unanimous decision. Her last two fights have come over a period of four years and 11 days, while Marshall last fought and lost to the Ring’s pound-for-pound No. 1 Claressa Shields in October 2022, in one of Shields’ best performances as a pro. Marshall is the only fighter to have ever beaten Shields, when the two were amateurs.

“I like winning and I like finding different ways to win, I can win coming forward or win going to her,” Crews-Dezurn said. “I’m here to fight and win.”

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