DETROIT — Undisputed heavyweight champion Claressa Shields and longtime rival Franchon Crews-Dezurn promised an action-packed fight Sunday night — and they delivered, with Shields defending her crown via unanimous decision at Little Caesars Arena.
All three judges scored the bout 100-90.
Shields, fighting at home, improved to 18-0 (2 KOs). Crews-Dezurn, who holds a super middleweight title, fell to 10-3.
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“I had to take my time tonight,” Shields mentioned. “That’s one of the toughest fights I’ve been in during my pro career. She hits hard these days.”
It was a rematch of their 2016 pro debut, where Shields earned a four-round decision victory.
Both fighters pressed the action from the opening round, but Shields, ESPN’s No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound women’s boxer, began to wear down her opponent by the fifth round.
The victory marked Shields’ second defense of her undisputed heavyweight crown, which she won in February 2025 in a unanimous decision over Danielle Perkins.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
