DETROIT — There was no venom. No shouting. No theatrics. Instead, there was respect. As Claressa Shields stood behind a clear podium Thursday at Little Caesars Arena, previewing her undisputed heavyweight title defense against longtime rival Franchon Crews-Dezurn, the tone felt historic rather than hostile.
“With this fight being at heavyweight, it brings more notoriety to her name, to my name, to the event,” Shields said. “We will be etched in history together throughout our entire careers from the amateurs to our pro debuts to our heavyweight fight coming up.”
A Rivalry Years in the Making
Shields (17-0, 3 KOs) and Crews-Dezurn (10-2, 2 KOs) have been intertwined for over a decade. They rose through the amateur ranks together before meeting in their 2016 professional debuts, where Shields earned a four-round decision victory. Since then, both have carved out elite resumes in women’s boxing.
Crews-Dezurn rebounded from that loss with nine consecutive wins, eventually becoming undisputed super middleweight champion. After losing the crown in 2023, she reclaimed momentum by defeating Shadasia Green for interim WBA and WBC titles and successfully defending against Citlalli Ortiz in 2025. Now, she steps into the ring at heavyweight chasing history again.
“This is a long time in the making,” Crews-Dezurn said. “I’ve always told Claressa our journeys were going to be intertwined.”
Shields’ Heavyweight Reign
Sunday marks the second defense of Shields’ undisputed heavyweight crown, which she captured in February 2025 with a unanimous decision over Danielle Perkins. The bout also begins a new chapter in her career. In November, Shields signed a multifight partnership with Salita Promotions and Wynn Records worth $8 million the largest promotional deal ever secured by a female boxer. For the Flint, Michigan native, defending her title at home adds another layer of significance.
Long before championship belts and eight-figure deals, Shields and Crews-Dezurn were chasing Olympic dreams. Shields made history in 2012 by becoming the first American woman to win Olympic gold in boxing at just 17 years old. She followed it up with a second gold medal at the 2016 Rio Games, solidifying her place as one of the most decorated amateurs in history.
She revealed Thursday that Crews-Dezurn was among the first fighters she studied as a teenager.
“She was my motivation back then,” Shields said. “I found film on her on YouTube. I watched her. And I knew from back then she hit hard.”
That early respect still lingers even as titles are on the line.
Heavyweight Stakes
This isn’t just another championship fight. Two women who helped elevate women’s boxing from Olympic inclusion to global headline events now meet at heavyweight a division once considered out of reach for mainstream women’s boxing.
Both promised action. Crews-Dezurn made her ambitions clear: “February 22nd when I’m victorious, it’s definitely something that I set out to do.”
Shields, meanwhile, remains undefeated and firmly entrenched as ESPN’s No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound women’s boxer.
Legacy Over Noise
In an era where pre-fight promotion often leans on spectacle, Thursday’s press conference felt different. It felt like two pioneers acknowledging the road they paved together and separately. On Sunday night in Detroit, they’ll add another chapter.
Not just to their rivalry.But to the history of women’s boxing.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
