Boxing Tonight: Crews-Dezurn vs Savannah Marshall UK fight time, TV channel, live stream and undercard
Franchon Crews-Dezurn defends her undisputed super-middleweight status against Savannah Marshall, while former world champion Charles Martin takes on heavyweight prospect Jared Anderson
Marshall challenges to become undisputed super-middleweight champion (Photo: Getty)
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Savannah Marshall has gone from the frying pan into the fire and for that, even her opponent Franchon Crews-Dezurn concedes, she deserves enormous respect.
Marshall was unsuccessful in her attempt to become an undisputed champion at middleweight, outboxed by a furiously frantic Claressa Shields last year. Undeterred, she now challenges Crews-Dezurn for the four belts at super-middleweight.
“Much respect to her and I wouldn’t expect anything less from her, having such a deep amateur pedigree,” says the American fighter.
“I think that’s what separates women like her, Claressa, Katie Taylor, myself because we always had to compete against the best in the world. We didn’t have chances to pick – once you became that [representing your country] you were fighting the best from France, the best from Canada.
“If you want to be great you have to dare to be great.”
This card was originally set to be headlined by Chris Eubank Jr’s rematch with Liam Smith before the latter withdrew through injury, but its replacement is well worthy of the main event.
i sat down with Crews-Dezurn as she arrived in the UK under her own banner, having formed her own promotional company The Heavy-Hitting Diva. “Am I a diva?” she chuckles, before pointing. “This is my husband. He can clarify.”
“But I’d give you the shirt off my back – or sew one for you,” she adds.
Sewing is another strand of the Heavy-Hitting business and one of a few strands to her colourful career – she once even auditioned for American Idol. But it is boxing management and promotion that is most important to the reigning champion, not least because there are so few women in positions in power in the sport.
It is a question of making the current power brokers “see the value in women” and female fighters currently hold one significant advantage over their male counterparts: the biggest fights that fans want to say are actually happening.
“We already have to fight for pay, for promotion,” she points out. “We have to fight for so many things that are not equivalent to the guys with the collapsed fights, who don’t want to fight, who complain about the colour of the mat in the ring. To be able to promote myself, it should inspire other women – if they’re not giving you opportunities, try to create your own.”
That is what unites fighters like Crews-Dezurn and Marshall, even if they are adversaries for the night. In a heated press conference earlier this week, the “Silent Assassin” warned Crews-Dezurn “you’re nothing like Claressa” and was told in return: “You better kiss my feet and be happy I came to the ring to give you an opportunity.”
They have met before, at amateur level in a test event for the London Olympics, Marshall the victor by two points. “I don’t think I lost,” interjects Crews-Dezurn. Since turning pro, she has teamed up with Bernard Hopkins, who she regards as her mentor. Is she still motivated by revenge, even 12 years on? “Hell yeah!”
Underneath it all, though, there remains a respect. She jokes she “used to have a girl crush” on Marshall. “She was uniquely pretty and she didn’t say anything, but she fought.
“Boxing is one of the only sports, you could punch somebody in the face and respect them. You look at Muhammad Ali and [Joe] Frazier, they went at it multiple times but they were very close friends in the end, helping each other financially. You just get a respect because this is a lonely sport, this is a very hard sport on your body and mind.”
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Dezurn vs Marshall
Date: Saturday 1 July
Venue: Manchester Arena, UK
Fight time: Ring walks for the main event are expected around 10pm (UK time)
TV/live stream: Sky Sports Action. You can stream on SkyGo or with a NOW 24-hour pass, which costs £11.99. Coverage starts from 2am (early hours of Sunday morning UK time).
Undercard highlights: Natasha Jonas can add another belt to her collection as she contests the vacant IBF women’s welterweight title against Kandi Wyatt
i predicts: Marshall to win by stoppage in the later rounds
Full card:
Franchon Crews-Dezurn vs Savannah Marshall
Natasha Jonas vs Kandi Wyatt (vacant IBF women’s welterweight title)
Zak Chelli vs Mark Jeffers (super-middleweight)
Ben Whittaker vs Vladimir Belujsky (light-heavyweight)
Callum Simpson vs Boris Crighton (super-middleweight)
April Hunter vs Kirstie Bavington (women’s welterweight)
April Hunter: ‘Bavington calls me a bum – but words are words’
Hunter fights Bavington on tonight’s undercard (Photo: Lewis Munnelly, Neighbourhood Sport)
It is not the first time April Hunter has fought on a card headlined by her gymmate and ally Savannah Marshall. Somehow it feels different this time, as the “new April Hunter” prepares to face Kirstie Bavington in a rematch of the Newcastle fighter’s only professional defeat.
With characteristic honestly, Hunter said she was “terrible” the first time around, clearly beaten on points in her first fight since splitting with DAZN and Tony Bellew and teaming up with Sky Sports.
It was a catastrophic start but a necessary one. “Everything’s changed now,” Hunter tells i.
“My team, my mindset, my style of fighting has changed. She [Bavington] can’t take anything away from that last fight because she’s not getting in the ring with the same person.
“I’m expecting the same as before. I’ve watched every other fight she’s had since. Kirstie Bavington is Kirstie Bavington, she’s going to come and rough at it and that’s it. And then I’ll have to deal with it.”
There is no love lost between the two. Bavington has spent the build-up calling Hunter a “bum” on social media. “She’d been telling people I’d bottled it and I bit. It’s personal but I haven’t risen to any of it – she’ll see on the night. She’s posting stuff and calling us a bum against but to be honest, words are words.”
It should have been a special night at the Newcastle Arena for the Geordie super-welterweight, who takes inspiration from her beloved Newcastle United’s qualification for the Champions League. “I was at the Tottenham game [which Newcastle won 6-1] and it was unbelievable. Honest to God – 10 minutes in, I couldn’t feel my head from jumping up so much. I was light-headed, goal, goal, goal.”
But the Bavington fight proved a huge setback, even if there were mitigating circumstances. Hunter had been a late replacement for that first encounter and had virtually no notice, signing the agreement in fight week. “I didn’t know much about her,” she recalls. I hadn’t had any sparring, whereas now I know about her I know how to take her strengths – – I wouldn’t even say it is a strength how she boxes, but I know how to take that away from her.”
What has made match-making particularly difficult for Hunter, as with all female fighters, is the lack of elite boxers in each weight class.
“When you’re coming through the ranks it’s really difficult,” she says. “You go from crap journeywomen and then straight away, to the top level – there’s no in between to bridge the gap. And with there not being many of you it’s hard to get your fights.”
Anderson vs Martin
Former heavyweight champion Charles Martin returns (Photo: Getty)
Jared Anderson and Charles Martin could not be at more opposite ends of their careers, but what they do have in common is a feeling they have been sidelined by a heavyweight division preoccupied with a top handful of fighters who are reluctant to face each other.
Anderson is 23 and one of the most promising up-and-coming American fighters, winning all 14 of his professional fights so far by KO. He has picked a southpaw in Martin, the former world champion who lost his title to Anthony Joshua.
Martin’s reign has always been a point of contention. He held the IBF title for 85 days and only won it courtesy of beating Vyacheslav Glazkov when the belt was vacant.
It is not expected to be too much of a contest but it represents a reasonable degree of pedigree for Anderson, who remains level-headed about his rise up the division so far.
“My toughest fight outside the ring is life,” he said. “Because it throws curveballs at you that you just don’t expect sometimes. I think I’ve been through a lot in my 23 years, and I think I’ve handled it well.”
Date: Saturday 1 July
Venue: Huntingdon Centre, Toledo, USA
Fight time: Ring walks for the main event are expected around 4am (UK time)
TV/live stream: Sky Sports Action. You can stream on SkyGo or with a NOW 24-hour pass, which costs £11.99. Coverage starts from 2am (early hours of Sunday morning UK time)
Undercard highlights: Welterweight Jahi Tucker is a quick, artful mover and his fight with Nicklaus Flaz is worth looking out for
i predicts: Anderson to win by KO rounds 5-7
Full card:
Jared Anderson vs Charles Martin
Arslanbek Makhmudov vs Raphael Akpejiori
Delante Johnson vs Jonathan Montrel
Jahi Tucker vs Nicklaus Flaz
Dante Benjamin vs Mirady Lubanzadio Zola
Abdullah Mason vs Alex de Oliveira
Husam Al Mashhadi vs. Rance Ward
DeAndre Ware vs Decrlo Perez
Smith vs Maxwell
Dalton Smith celebrates after defeating Billy Allington (Photo: Getty)
Sam Maxwell has it all to do in Sheffield when he fights Dalton Smith for the British and Commonwealth super-lightweight titles.
Smith is a formidable puncher and Maxwell will do well to go the distance, but a potential world title shot is encouragement enough for the winner.
“Every British fighter dreams of winning the Lord Lonsdale Challenge Belt when they start out, so to win it for keeps will be a massive box ticked for me as I then kick on,” Smith says.
“Sam is a great fighter who can really punch. He will be giving it his all to get the British title back and keep his Commonwealth title, but I’m very confident I will have too much for him on the night and it will be another special atmosphere in the arena in front of my home support.”
Date: Saturday 1 July
Venue: Utilita Arena, Sheffield, UK
Fight time: Ring walks for the main event are expected around 10pm (UK time)
TV/live stream:DAZN, where subscriptions start from £9.99 a month. While it’s pay-per-view in the US and Canada UK fans will have it included in their monthly package
Undercard highlights: Team GB Olympian Pat McCormack fights Tony Dixon at super-welterweight
i predicts: Smith to win by TKO rounds 4-6
Full card:
Dalton Smith vs Sam Maxwell
Pat McCormack vs Tony Dixon
Hopey Price vs James Beech Jr
Lewis Sylvester vs Adam Cope
Beatriz Ferreira vs Karla Ramos Zamora
Junaid Bostan vs Ryan Amos
Cory O’Regan vs Jordan Ellison
Nico Leivers vs Alberto Motos
Any other business
The date for Joe Joyce’s rematch with Zhilei Zhang has been set – 23 September at Wembley Arena.
Dillian Whyte vs AJ 2 is back on – according to reports, Joshua has agreed to remove the rematch clause in the contract.
Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois’ respective teams remain in talks about a title shot for the British fighter later this year.
Frank Warren has promised Tyson Fury’s upcoming fight announcement will be a “game-changer”. The noise from Fury’s camp in recent weeks has linked him with the likes of MMA star Francis Ngannou.
