Shadasia Green and Franchon Crews-Dezurn are set to face each other for the vacant WBC super middleweight title on December 15th. The title was previously held by former undisputed super middleweight champion Savannah Marshall but was later relinquished due to an injury that will keep Marshall out of the ring until 2024. Green and Dezurn will be fighting at the Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Florida.
While Shadasia Green (13-0, 11 KO’s) has rightfully earned her position as the mandatory WBC super middleweight contender, Franchon Crews-Dezurn (8-2, 2 KO’s) is coming off a loss to Savannah Marshall (13-1, 10 KO’s), which she suffered on July 1st of this year. In a situation similar to Ilunga Makabu, who is also fighting for a vacant world title after suffering a loss this year, Crews-Dezurn is another boxer the WBC has deemed worthy of challenging for a world title.
In Makabu’s case, his upcoming match with Noel Gevor Mikaelyan had already been planned before the vacant WBC cruiserweight title became available. The WBC has considered Franchon Crews-Dezurn the best challenger for Green to face instead of any other contender.
Though Crews-Dezurn’s position as the #2 contender on the WBC rankings makes her a suitable opponent for Shadasia Green, her inclusion in a world title fight highlights the somewhat weak and inactive state of the women’s super middleweight division, which couldn’t produce another legitimate opponent for Green to face.
Out of all the contenders at 168 lbs, undefeated American Raquel Miller (13-0, 6 KO’s) and Mexican Citlalli Ortiz (4-1, 1 KO’s) appear to be the only suitable match-ups for Green, given their recent activity and positioning on the WBC’s super middleweight rankings.. Miller fought in May of this year, while Green’s last fight was in March. Miller is currently ranked at #8 in the WBC’s super middleweight division.
Other contenders in the WBC rankings seem to be dealing with either inactivity or losses, and the WBC’s super middleweight rankings feature only nine contenders, compared to at least ten in most other women’s rankings. #7 Angelica Lopez Flores (13-2, 7 KO’s) is coming off a loss, while #5-ranked Alicia Napoleon (12-2, 7 KO’s) has not been active since 2020. The #4-ranked contender, Christina Hammer (28-1, 13 KO’s), has not fought since May 2022, and #3 Elin Cederroos’s (8-2, 4 KO’s) last match was a loss to Shadasia Green herself in February of this year.
Contenders outside the WBC rankings also appear to be in no better shape, with some being too inactive to be a factor in women’s boxing, others recovering from recent losses, and a few with limited professional experience. While the latter does not necessarily pose a significant barrier, as there have been female boxers in recent years who have challenged for world titles before reaching a double-digit number of fights, such as super welterweight WBO champion Sandy Ryan, it is worth noting the scarcity of truly capable and experienced contenders in the 168 lbs division for world titles.
Franchon Crews-Dezurn, despite her recent loss to Savannah Marshall, is one of the few contenders considered worthy enough to challenge Shadasia Green for the vacant WBC super middleweight title. While it’s not uncommon for fighters coming off losses to challenge for world titles, Crews-Dezurn’s opportunity highlights the lack of competition within her division and the need for new talent to inject a sense of competitiveness.
Green and Crews-Dezurn are likely to serve as the co-headliners of the fight card on December 15th, on which Jake Paul is also slated to fight as part of the main event. An opponent for Paul has yet to be announced.
