The WBO World Championship Committee has stripped Alejandra Jimenez of the WBO super middleweight title and reinstated Franchon Crews-Dezurn (pictured) as the champion. Here is the WBO's ruling on the subject: Both Ms. Jimenez and Ms. Crews-Dezurn enrolled in the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency program (VADA), whereby they were subject to testing. For Ms. Jimenez, the VADA test confirmed the presence of the anabolic steroid "Eztanozolol" in said participant who was the subject to one or more specimens collected and analyzed on January 10th 2020, to detect usage of performance-enhancing drugs. The use or consumption of said substance is prohibited and, therefore, all interested parties, including the WBO, were duly notified.
Accordingly, these circumstances triggered the WBO Regulations [and] Jimenez was granted due process through an official letter whereby she was advised through her official promoter, of the underlying facts, possible violations, and applicable procedure to challenge why the WBO World Championship Committee should not vacate the title in light of her actions.
Ms. Jimenez was granted a ten (10) day period to respond and warned that failure to comply would constitute a waiver of any other right thereto and with the Committee having the right to issue any further ruling deem necessary, helpful or convenient to accomplish the purposes, policies, and intent of the WBO regulations. Ms. Jimenez’s promoter acknowledged receipt of the show cause letter, but no other further response or evidence whatsoever was forwarded to this Committee.
Conversely, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) Commission [...] determined that as a result of Ms. Jimenez’s adverse finding, the official bout result of a split decision win for Jimenez be changed to a “No Decision” and issued a suspension for Jimenez until April 11th 2020.
This ruling triggered the Committee by issuing a second notice to Ms. Jimenez and advising said participant that the WBO must adhere and abide by the local boxing commission with jurisdiction over the bout, its ruling and determinations. Therefore, Ms. Jimenez was granted a final five (5) day time frame to provide any supporting evidence in her defense as to why we should not declare the title vacant.
On both occasions, Ms. Jimenez failed to comply with this Committee’s orders [but she] filed two email communications with no reliable, credible, or relevant supporting evidence in her defense, rather unfounded averments and allegations unsupported in the record. Lastly, Ms. Jimenez requested advice as to the procedure for an appeal with the Texas Commission and a hearing with the
WBO, albeit the time frame for any possible challenge to this Committee’s ruling had elapsed. In light of these events, Ms. Franchon Crews-Dezurn requested that as result of the local boxing commission nullifying the official bout result to a No Decision, Ms. Crews-Dezurn should be reinstated as champion.
[On March 17th, the WBO granted Dezurn's request and restored the WBO super middleweight championship to her].
