Franchon Crews-Dezurn can go back to calling herself a women’s super middleweight titleholder.
The Washington D.C. fighter was reinstated as a WBO titlist after the sanctioning body formally stripped Alejandra Jimenez of the belt earlier this week for failing to adequately defend her positive PED test, according to multiple reports.
Jimenez tested for a banned substance shortly after notching a wide points decision over Crews-Dezurn in their Jan. 10 title bout. That fight has since been changed to a no-decision.
According to a letter sent by the WBO to both fighters, obtained by BoxingScene.com, Jimenez was dropped as the titleholder because her argument in defense of her positive drug test was not up to snuff.
The letter read in part: “Ms. Jimenez failed to comply with this Committee’s orders as per the ‘Show Cause’ notices. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Ms. Jimenez filed two email communications with no reliable, credible, or relevant supporting evidence in her defense, rather unfounded allegations unsupported in the record.”
Said Crews-Dezurn promoter Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya: “Justice has been served. This is the correct decision to make on behalf of the WBO to reinstate Franchon Crews-Dezurn as its super middleweight champion. It is always great to see justice in action, especially in this sport.”
Jimenez’s “A” and “B” samples allegedly both tested positive for Stanozolol, a synthetic substance derived from testosterone that promotes cell growth and the development of masculine characteristics.