Claressa Shields is still the “GWOAT.”
The undisputed heavyweight champion defeated Franchon Crews-Dezurn by unanimous decision in front of more than 17,000 fans at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday night.
According to ESPN, all three judges scored the 10-round bout 100-90.
Shields, who was fighting in front of her home crowd, is now 18-0 (2 KOs).
”I felt like I had to take my time. Franchon hits hard, and she’s tough, and you’ve got to be very tricky with her,” Shields said after the fight.
“She was trying to cause the upset today and got me with some shots. But Franchon is exactly who she thinks she is — ‘The Heavy Hitting Diva.’ And that’s one of the best fights that I’ve been in in my professional career,” she continued. “Especially at 10 rounds. It was fun. I had to watch my ass every round.”
Crews-Dezurn shared how much Shields’ success in the sport has inspired her.
”She inspires me. She came in at a time where I was dominant and shook the table up,” Crews-Dezurn said. “When I’m seeing her, I’m like, ‘OK, that’s a point I could get to, or that’s somebody who can keep fire under me,’ and it’s never a jealousy thing. I’m proud of her.”
The bout was a long-awaited rematch when they faced each other in their professional debuts in 2016. Shields earned a four-round decision victory.
At the beginning of the fight, Crews-Dezurn came out aggressively and continued throughout the first couple of rounds, attempting to score a knockdown on Shield. But Shields quickly took control of the fight and cruised to a decisive victory.
In the crowd were former boxing champion Terence Crawford, rapper Tee Grizzley, Mike Epps, Michael Blackson, and many other celebrities.
For her ring walk, Shields brought out Lil Boosie, who performed”Set It Off.”
During her post-fight press conference, Shields said that she wants to take on Shadasia Green later this year as she held her niece. She also said that she plans to take before taking a break from boxing in 2027 to have a child.
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