DETROIT — The reigning heavyweight champion, Claressa Shields, along with her enduring competitor, Franchon Crews-Dezurn, had vowed a thrilling contest for Sunday evening. They made good on that pledge, as Shields successfully retained her title by a unanimous verdict at Little Caesars Arena.
The panel of three officials uniformly assigned a score of 100-90 for the 10-round match.
Competing in her hometown, Shields advanced her record to 18-0 (with 2 KOs). Conversely, Crews-Dezurn, the holder of a super middleweight championship, saw her record drop to 10-3.
“I needed to proceed cautiously this evening,” Shields stated. “This ranks among the most arduous contests I’ve encountered throughout my professional journey. Her punches carry significant force nowadays.”
The bout served as a second encounter following their professional debut in 2016, where Shields secured a four-round decision win.
From the initial round, both pugilists initiated an aggressive pace; however, Shields, recognized by ESPN as the premier pound-for-pound female boxer, progressively exhausted her adversary by the fifth round.
This triumph signified Shields’ second successful defense of her unchallenged heavyweight title, a title she had claimed in February 2025 through a unanimous verdict against Danielle Perkins.
Information from The Associated Press was incorporated into this article.