Claressa Shields and Franchon Crews-Dezurn were at the Little Caesars Arena last night where Shields defended her undisputed heavyweight title with a unanimous decision win over longtime rival Franchon Crews-Dezurn on Sunday night. All three judges scored the 10-round bout 100 to 90.
“I felt like I had to take my time,” Shields said afterward. “Franchon hits hard and she’s tough. You’ve got to be very tricky with her. That was one of the best fights of my career. It was fun, but I had to watch myself every round.”
The win moved the Flint native to 18 and 0 as she continued her reign at the top of women’s boxing. Crews-Dezurn, who still holds a super middleweight title, brought early pressure and intensity, pushing Shields from the opening bell before the champion settled into her rhythm.
After the final round, the rivals shared a long embrace at the center ring. There had been some concerns ahead of the fight as during their face-off, Shields was seen shoving Crews-Dezurn, and later accused her of headbutting her.
“She inspires me,” Crews-Dezurn said. “It’s never jealousy. I’m proud of her.”
Shields later praised her opponent’s toughness, noting the fight even left her needing a stitch. “I haven’t been in one where a woman could rumble like that,” she said with a smile.