Super middleweight champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn and challenger Savannah Marshall continued to jab one another ahead of their fight Saturday in Manchester, England (ESPN+).
Crews-Dezurn suggested that Marshall lost to Claressa Shields in October because she underestimated the pound-for-pound queen, a product of feeling entitled. Marshall countered by implying she lost because Shields is a great fighter and said that her current opponent is no Claressa Shields, who defeated Crews-Dezurn in 2016.
No, Crews-Dezurn and Marshall didn’t express much respect for one another Thursday at the final news conference before they meet in the ring.
“I’m not like her,” Crews-Dezurn said. “Unfortunately she got a defeat because she underestimated [Shields]. That’s what happens when you think everything is going to be given to you.
“You let somebody come into your [country], beat you, dog-walk you. You let somebody come and take something that was yours because you got complacent. That’s you, not me.”
The Baltimore fighter went on, making a reference to Marshall’s victory over Shields when they were amateurs: “You had 10 years, 10 rounds to prepare [for Shields] and couldn’t even do it. You better kiss my feet and be happy I came to the ring to give you an opportunity.
“I’m better than you, I’m more diverse than you.”
Marshall (12-1, 10 KOs) would have none of that.
“I didn’t get complacent at all,” he said. “You’re nothing like Claressa. You won’t dog-walk me at all. The reality of it is I don’t have to say anything. I’m a better fighter than you.”
She continued, pointing out that Crews-Dezurn’s relative inactivity – two fights over the past 2½ years – doesn’t reflect well on her.
“The difference between me and you is you sit about on your lazy a– waiting for opportunities,” Marshall said. “This was why you’ve boxed twice in two years.”
Crews-Dezurn (8-1, 2 KOs) jabbed back at Marshall by saying her resume speaks for itself.
“How can you say I sit on my lazy a– and didn’t create an opportunity when it took five minutes to introduce me [at the news conference] because I do so many things and when you’ve got hustle personified here,” he said.
“I self-manage myself. I made deals with Golden Boy and all these other promoters when you had other things handed to you.”
You get the idea. They couldn’t have been much nastier to one another two days before their fight. We’ll see whether they bring that nastiness into the ring.
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