Savannah Marshall becomes undisputed super-middleweight champion after beating Franchon Crews-Dezurn

Savannah Marshall has become the two-weight world champion after scoring a majority decision points win over Franchon Crews-Dezurn in Manchester on Saturday evening. 

The Briton, who lost her middleweight title to Claressa Shields in October 2022, becomes the undisputed super-middleweight champion with her defeat of Crews-Dezurn, and victory at the AO Arena has opened the door for a potential rematch with her American rival Shields. 

Judges scored the fight 95-95, 99-92, and 97-93 in Marshall’s favour as she outclassed Crews-Dezurn after a slow-burn start. 

Her record is now 13-1, with her only professional defeat coming against Shields, whilst Crews-Dezurn – who has not seen action since her April victory over Elin Cederroos, sees her at 8-2. 

The fight was full-throated and tense, with the 32-year-old’s early firepower being met with Crews-Dezurn’s own strength. 

The 32-year-old made it 13-1 with her defeat of her US opponent Franchon Crews-Dezurn

In one intense entanglement, the pair lost balance, and Marshall was close to rolling out of the ring. 

But by the fifth round, Marshall had the upper hand, and the 36-year-old’s resistance began to weaken, with the British fighter more and more confident in breaching her opponent’s defences. 

Speaking after the fight to Sky Sports, Marshall called the result a ‘sweet dream’. 

‘I can’t describe how I feel at the minute,’ she added. ‘I just want to thank everyone who came out and bought a ticket. 

‘As if you didn’t buy tickets I wouldn’t be in this position.

“I think I broke my hand on her head. She (Crews-Dezurn) is a tough, tough woman. I thought she came on stronger, some of the rounds were close but I felt landed the better shots.

‘Everything I said in the build up I take back.”

When asked about a potential rematch with Shields, Marshall added: ‘If she wants it, I’ll give it.

‘I’m sure she’ll want to try and unify it.

‘She can come and have a shot at super-middle.’  

The brutally intense fight saw the fighers at times locked in clinches that sent them off-balance

Marshall may now look to seeking revenge for her October defeat to Claressa Shields (right)

In an exclusive interview with Mail Sport, Shields shared that she thought Marshall was ‘obsessed’ with her, focusing too much of her attention on Sheilds instead of Crews-Dezurn. 

‘I think Savannah may be secretly in love with me or something because the way that the girl lights up every time she says my name,’ Shields said. ‘She still says she wants to fight me and everything is always about me.

‘Savannah, let it be about you and your opponent. You don’t have to speak about me. Then when I said I was coming here to watch the fight, she was like, “oh Claressa is coming to see me.” No I’m not.

‘I think something is missing here. I think maybe I hit her really hard, and she’s not all the way there anymore. It was never not all the way there, but now she is even more crazy.’