Claressa Shields dominates Franchon Crews-Dezurn again in Detroit to remain undisputed heavyweight champion
Claressa Shields dominates Franchon Crews-Dezurn with a 100–90 unanimous decision to defend her undisputed heavyweight title in Detroit; fighters embraced after fraught build-up; Shields says fight "one of the toughest I've been in"
Monday 23 February 2026 13:34, UK
Claressa Shields dominated Franchon Crews-Dezurn with a lopsided unanimous decision on Sunday night in Detroit, successfully defending her undisputed heavyweight championship.
Fighting in front of a home crowd, Shields improved to 18‑0, earning identical 100-90 scores on all three cards, while super‑middleweight titleholder Crews-Dezurn fell to 10‑3.
"I had to take my time tonight," Shields said afterward. "That's one of the toughest fights I've been in during my pro career. She hits hard these days."
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The bout was a rematch of their professional debuts on November 19, 2016, when Shields also won by unanimous decision.
Tensions between the fighters remained high, spilling over into a heated face off and a clash between their teams at the pre-fight weigh-in.
Crews-Dezurn was evaluated by a doctor Sunday morning for knee and ankle issues but was cleared to compete.
Both fighters came out aggressively in the opening round, but Shields quickly asserted control with superior hand speed. After the final bell, the pair exchanged words before ultimately sharing an embrace.
Shields, a trailblazing two-time Olympic gold medallist, became the first undisputed heavyweight champion in women's boxing when she moved up from middleweight, her natural division and unified the WBC, WBO, WBA and IBF belts in her new weight class last year.
This bout marked the first in Shields' new £5.9m ($8m) multi‑fight deal and drew a strong crowd to the home arena of the Detroit Red Wings and Pistons.
In the co-main event, the light-heavyweight matchup between Atif Oberlton (14‑0) and Joseph George (13‑2) ended abruptly after one round when George collapsed in his corner. Paramedics treated him, and he was eventually able to leave the ring under his own power.
On the undercard, American light-heavyweight Danielle Perkins (6‑1) scored a sixth‑round knockout over Australia's Che Kenneally (5‑1) to claim the WBA light-heavyweight title
