Shields Faces $8M Full-Circle Moment
Claressa Shields' journey from beating Franchon Crews-Dezurn as a 16-year-old in the 2012 Olympic trials to now headlining a heavyweight super-fight with an $8 million purse represents a watershed moment for women's boxing. Shields enters 17-0 with three knockouts against Crews-Dezurn in the rematch.
- The two fighters made their professional debuts against each other on November 19, 2016, on the undercard of the Sergey Kovalev-Andre Ward light heavyweight title fight; Shields won the four-round bout by unanimous decision. - Since that initial loss, Franchon Crews-Dezurn has amassed a record of 10-2 and became the undisputed super-middleweight world champion in 2022. - Claressa Shields is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the only female boxer in history to hold all four major world titles (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO) in three different weight classes simultaneously. - The upcoming rematch will take place on February 22, 2026, at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, with Shields' undisputed heavyweight championship on the line. - For the fight, Crews-Dezurn, who previously held the undisputed title at super-middleweight, will be moving up to the heavyweight division. - Known as "The Heavy Hitting Diva," Crews-Dezurn is also a fashion designer who creates her own ring attire and a singer who once auditioned for American Idol. - The $8 million purse is the first fight in a landmark promotional deal for Shields, reported to be the largest contract in the history of women's boxing.
