Miami's loanDepot Park Set To Host History Making Boxing Event On June 19
(CBSMiami)- The Marlins home ballpark will make history in a few weeks when it hosts Triller Fight Club's next boxing card. The event is the first to be held at the park but, more importantly, it's the first card ever to have a men's and women's undisputed title fight on the same card.
On the men's side, unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez faces George Kambosos Jr. in a bout for Lopez's title belts. On the women's side, WBC and WBO super middleweight champion Franchon Crews Dezurn fights IBF and WBA champion Elin Cederroos for the unification of the titles in the division. The winner will become the first super middleweight champion, male or female, ever.
"This is truly a historic moment having both the male and female undisputed title fights on the same card," said Peter Kahn, Chief Boxing Officer, Triller Fight Club in a statement. "We are excited to have Franchon and Elin join a night of boxing that already has one of the most anticipated fights of the year, López and Kambosos, along with a strong undercard that will appeal to true boxing fans."
For Crews-Dezurn, she's focused in on staying present, but the opportunity to make history is becoming more real with each passing day that gets closer to the fight.
"It's weird because, I just work, that's all I do. When people say it, the more they say it, the more real it's becoming," Crews-Dezurn said in an interview with CBS Local's Ryan Mayer. "I'm in the top 1%, I have a great mentor in Bernard Hopkins and he kind of walked me through it. I'll be the first (undisputed) super middleweight champion male or female. I'm fighting on Juneteenth, so a little Black history right there and when my hand is raised and I get those belts, I'll be able to process and give you an authentic reaction. But for now, I'm just training hard staying focused, and staying present in the moment."
Credit: Triller Fight Club
That drive and focus has served Crews-Dezurn well ever since she first fell in love with boxing as a teenager. What first started as a way to get in better shape while pursuing her musical dreams turned into a passion from the first time she sparred and got a little bruised up in the ring. After a long career as a successful amateur, she turned pro in 2016 and following a tough loss to Claressa Shields in her debut, has gone undefeated since, claiming the WBC and WBO championships.
But, Crews-Dezurn isn't just limited to her exploits in the ring. Her moniker "The Heavy Hitting Diva" comes from the fact that she also works as a singer, songwriter and fashion designer. She says that the creativity that she embraces in those other areas not only helps her decompress but also translates into the ring.
"The thing is, everybody wants everybody to fight the same. The people who stood out, Muhammad Ali was not a super technical boxer," Crews-Dezurn points out. "Yes, he was the greatest of all-time, but he was not super technical. He did a lot of things "wrong". Mike Tyson, was super small for his weight class but it was that spark, that thing that made him, him that also made him stand out."
"So for me, you never know which Franchon is going to show up because there are so many different sides to me," Crews-Dezurn continued. "You might get the sharp one, you might get the bully, you might get the boxer. You might get the diva. My style is very different but it's effective. I've been successful with it for over 14 years. And all I'm doing is refining it and I'm going to present it on June 19."
Her opponent on June 19 enters with ambitions of her own, hoping to accomplish the same dream of being the undisputed champ. Crews-Dezurn is respectful of what Cederroos brings to the table but doesn't think she'll be able to find answers to the creativity she brings to the ring.
"She likes to counter, she's tall, she has a European style with a lot of straight punches. And she likes to try and capitalize and throw a check hook on people that rush in," Crews-Dezurn said. "But, I've fought girls like her. Being on Team USA, I've fought some of the top fighters of every country in the world. Whatever problems she's going to bring, I have the answers for. That's the beauty of being creative. That's the beauty of being versatile. I'll be able to adapt to anything she brings. She's not going to be able to adapt to me."
Crews-Dezurn will get the opportunity to show that versatility and creativity on Saturday, June 19 when on Triller Fight Club's pay-per-view from loanDepot Park in Miami. For information on how to get the fight, head to trillerfightclub.com.
