Shields Defends Heavyweight Title
Claressa Shields successfully defended her heavyweight title with a dominant unanimous decision over Franchon Crews-Dezurn. The win keeps Shields' title reign intact and further cements her status as one of the most accomplished female boxers of her era.
- This was a rematch of the professional debuts for both fighters, which took place on November 19, 2016. Shields also won that initial four-round bout by unanimous decision. - The judges' scorecards were a clean sweep for Shields, with all three scoring the 10-round fight 100-90, meaning Shields won every round on every card. - Franchon Crews-Dezurn is a world champion in her own right, holding unified titles at super middleweight, and moved up in weight to challenge Shields for the heavyweight crown. - The fight took place in Shields' home state at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. - This bout was the first under a new multi-fight, $8 million contract for Shields with Salita Promotions and Wynn Records, the largest in women's boxing history. - Shields is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the only boxer in the four-belt era, male or female, to hold undisputed championships in three different weight classes. - Before turning professional, Shields amassed an amateur record of 77 wins and only one loss.
