Baltimore Boxer Franchón Crews Taking On The Challenge Of Her Life
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Champion Baltimore boxer Franchón Crews is about to take on the challenge of her life; her first world title.
It will happen in front of a national audience.
WJZ's Denise Koch catches up with our own "Heavy Hitting Diva."
Crews already has a long list of titles, but now she's gone pro, and next week she'll be in Las Vegas going head-to-head for the world title.
She trains every day, but now with a new ferocity as she gets ready for September 13, when she'll go "diva to diva" with Mericela 'La Diva' Cornejo in Las Vegas.
"When those bright lights are on, when you have something at stake like a world title, you gotta show up and show out," Crews said.
Which is what she's been doing since she fought her first tournament at 17, and won. Crews went to Frederick Douglass High School and took up boxing to lose weight.
Since then, she's become a 15-time national champion, 5-time Pan Am champion, 2-time world medalist, and 2-time Olympic alternate.
She went pro in 2016.
'Little Man' Glenn Dezurn is Crews' husband and trainer of seven years. He's also a boxer and her greatest fan.
"She's like the godmother of boxing," he said. "At the end of the day, you're going to see pure will and determination."
Crews wants to win. She also wants women boxing to get the respect, and money it deserves.
"It's a lot of inequality with women and men counterparts, as far as pay, as far as recognition, as far as opportunities," Crews said. "And yes, I believe if I was a male, I'd probably be a millionaire by now."
A few years ago, Crews was working three jobs while going to school and taking care of her mother. Sadly, she's since lost her mother.
"She's my main inspiration. She fought to live," Crews said. "I fight to win, and this fight is dedicated to her and everything she lived through. She's truly a champion of life."
The fight will air on ESPN on Sept. 13.
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