DETROIT – Undisputed heavyweight champion Claressa Shields and longtime rival Franchon Crews-Dezurn promised an action-packed fight on Sunday night – and they delivered on their promise, with Shields defending her crown via unanimous decision at Little Caesars Arena.
All three judges scored the 10-round fight 100-90.
A native of Flint, Michigan, Shields improved his record to 18-0 (3 KO). Crews-Dezurn’s record, which still holds the super middleweight title, dropped to 10-3.
“I felt like I had to take my time. Franchon hits difficult and she’s tough, so you have to be very sneaky with her,” Shields said in her post-fight interview. “She wanted to cause a stir today and she gave me some shots, but Franchon is exactly who she says she is – ‘The Bulky Hitting Diva’ – and it’s one of the best fights I’ve been in in my professional career, especially after 10 rounds. It was fun. I had to watch my butt every round.”
After fighting 10 rounds in front of more than 17,000 fans, Shields and Crews-Dezurn shared a hot embrace in the center of the ring.
It was a rematch of their professional debut in 2016, in which Shields scored a four-round decision victory in Las Vegas in Andre Ward’s airy heavyweight title fight against Sergey Kovalev.
Shields and Crews-Dezurn rose to the top together as longtime amateur rivals, but put aside their friendship to perform in front of an all-star audience that included boxing champion Terence Crawford, rapper Tee Grizzley, comedians Mike Epps and Michael Blackson and other stars.
Rapper Lil Boosie also joined Shields on her ring walk, during which she performed her hit “Set It Off.”
“She inspires me. She came along at a time when I was dominant and shook things up,” Crews-Dezurn said. “When I see her, I tell myself, ‘OK, this is a point I can get to, or she’s someone who can keep me on fire.’ And it’s never a question of jealousy. I’m proud of her.”
Both fighters were pushing for action from the first round, but Shields, the No. 1 women’s boxer in ESPN’s pound-for-pound rankings, began wearing down her opponent in the fifth round.
Crews-Dezurn came out powerful after a flurry of punches in the first two rounds, but Shields adjusted to the situation, focusing on the timing of her punches and landing precise punches in the later rounds to gain an advantage on the scorecards.
Shields felt she could have landed more punches to the body and stated she would improve with the experience, but praised Crews-Dezurn for participating in the A-match, which left a stitch on her face.
“I haven’t seen a fight this electrifying in women’s boxing in a long time, and I haven’t seen one where a girl could scream like that,” Shields said. “I know the numbers were 90 to 100, but I think she got me two rounds. I just don’t know which two.”
The victory was Shields’ second defense of the undisputed heavyweight crown, which she won in February 2025 via unanimous decision over Danielle Perkins.
Moving forward, Shields said she wants to fight Shadasia Green and then have a catchweight fight with Mikaela Mayer at 162 or 163 pounds.
“And then – what are we like now in 2026? Well, in 2027, like I said, this is my niece, this is not my baby,” Shields said, hugging her niece at the post-fight press conference. “But I want to have my own children. So in 2027, I think I want to take some time off and have my own children.”
