Super-middleweight champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn and challenger Savannah Marshall continue to stab each other ahead of Saturday’s game in Manchester, England (ESPN+).
Crews-Dezurn suggests 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 that she lost because Shields is a good fighter and said that her current opponent is not Claressa Shields, who defeated Crews-Dezurn in 2016.
No, Crews-Dezurn and Marshall showed no respect for each other on Thursday at their final press conference before they met in the ring.
“I’m not like her,” Crews-Dezurn said. “Unfortunately, she failed due to underestimating [Shields]. That’s what happens when you think everything will be given to you.
“You let someone come in yours [country], hit a friend, walk the dog. You let someone come and take something that’s yours because you’re too complacent. It’s you, not me.”
The Baltimore boxer continued, referring to Marshall’s win over Shields when they were amateurs: “You have 10 years, 10 rounds to prepare. [for Shields] and can’t even do it. You should kiss my feet and be glad I came to the ring to give you a chance.
“I am better than you, I am more diverse than you.”
Marshall (12-1, 10 KOs) won’t have that.
“I’m not complacent at all,” he said. “You don’t look like Claressa at all. You won’t walk the dog with me at all. The fact of it is that I don’t have to say anything. I am a better fighter than you.
She continued, pointing out that Crews-Dezurn’s relative inactivity – two fights in the last 2 and a half years – doesn’t reflect her well.
“The difference between you and me is that you sit on your laziness – waiting for an opportunity,” says Marshall. “This is why you’ve been canning twice in two years.”
Crews-Dezurn (8-1, 2 KOs) responded to Marshall by saying that her background speaks for itself.
“How can you say I’m lazy– and don’t take a chance when it takes five minutes to introduce me [at the news conference] because I do a lot of work and when you hustle is personified here,” he said.
“I manage myself. I have a deal with Golden Boy and all the other promoters when you have other things given to you.
You get the idea. Two days before their fight, they couldn’t be worse with each other. We’ll see if they bring that discomfort into the ring.
