Claressa Shields does not do close fights. She does not do controversy on the scorecards. She does dominance. And on Sunday night at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, the undisputed heavyweight champion did exactly what she always does: she made it look inevitable.
Shields defeated Franchon Crews-Dezurn by unanimous decision, 100-90 on all three scorecards, defending her undisputed heavyweight title in front of over 17,000 fans who packed the arena to witness greatness in real time. With the win, Shields improved to 18-0, further cementing her claim as the Greatest Woman of All Time in boxing.
Detroit Showed Up Like Only Detroit Can
This was not just a fight. This was a cultural event. Shields’ ring walk featured Lil Boosie performing live, setting the tone for a night that blurred the line between boxing card and hip-hop festival. The crowd included Terence Crawford, pound-for-pound king of men’s boxing, alongside comedians Mike Epps and Michael Blackson. Detroit brought its full roster of star power, because when Claressa fights at home, the city treats it like a holiday.
That energy matters. It matters because women’s boxing has spent decades fighting for this kind of attention, this kind of spectacle, this kind of respect. Shields is the one who forced the door open and held it there.
The Rematch That Almost Didn’t Happen
Less than 24 hours before the opening bell, a viral brawl at the weigh-in nearly derailed the entire event. Things got physical between the two camps, and for a moment it looked like the fight might be pulled. But cooler heads prevailed, barely, and what we got instead was a disciplined, surgical 10-round clinic from Shields.
This was a rematch of their 2016 pro debuts, when both women turned professional on the same card and Shields won that fight too. A decade later, the result was the same, only more emphatic. Crews-Dezurn, who fell to 10-3, is a legitimate fighter with real power. Shields respected that.
“I felt like I had to take my time,” Shields said after the fight. “Franchon hits hard and she’s tough and you got to be very tricky with her.” She also kept it real in a way only Claressa can: “I had to watch my ass every round.”
Flint Built Different
You cannot tell the Claressa Shields story without telling the Flint story. A city that has been poisoned, neglected, written off, and disrespected by every level of government. A city that still produces champions. Shields won her first Olympic gold medal at 17 years old, then went back and won another one. She turned pro and collected every belt available. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the undisputed champion, and she did all of it representing a city that America tried to forget.
That is not just a sports narrative. That is a political one. Flint’s water crisis was a failure of governance that disproportionately harmed Black families. Shields turning that pain into global dominance is the kind of story that deserves to be told alongside any conversation about resilience in Black America.
What’s Next for the GWOAT
Shields already has her roadmap drawn. She wants Shadasia Green next, followed by a catchweight superfight with Mikaela Mayer. After that, she plans to step away in 2027 to start a family. Even her exit strategy is on her own terms.
In an era where Black women are dominating combat sports from the UFC to the boxing ring, Shields remains the standard. She is not waiting for permission. She is not asking for a seat at the table. She built the table, filled the arena, had Boosie on the ring walk, and went 100-90 on every card. That is not just winning. That is kingdom building.
