Discipline could be the difference between Claressa Shields and Franchon Crews-Dezurn

On Sunday night, Claressa Shields will face Franchon Crews-Dezurn at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. 

Shields, 17-0 (3 KOs), is a two-time U.S. Olympic Gold medalist, five-division titleholder, and three-division undisputed titlist. For this bout, the 30-year-old from Flint, Michigan will rematch Crews-Dezurn, 10-2 (2 KOs), whom she fought on her professional debut in 2016.

Crews-Dezurn, a 38-year-old from Baltimore who held the undisputed women’s super middleweight title after defeating Elin Cederroos, has fought only three times since that win in 2022. One of those fights was a loss to Savannah Marshall; another was an upset win over Shadasia Green.
BoxingScene recently spoke with women’s boxing historian Malissa Smith to get her views on this interesting bout.

What is the context of this fight?

Malissa Smith: For Shields to fight Crews-Dezurn [in her pro debut] is a statement to say I am in this to go for all the marbles. Choosing Crews-Dezurn to fight was choosing probably one of the hardest fighters she could fight at that weight. She fought her in the amateurs; she knew who she was, and it was also bringing a friend along for the ride. They were good friends. They aligned with each other for men and women to get equal opportunities.

There is a lot of history there, and Crews-Dezurn was the senior in that as well. She was older than Shields, and Crews-Dezurn had sort of a ‘mama’ role for all the fighters. Shields has said she was never hit harder than in her first fight with Crews-Dezurn. That was the most competitive fight she ever had. There had been talk of a rematch. There was some bad blood over the past few years, but Shields has been on a “taking care of me” sort of thing. I think Crews-Dezurn felt a bit dismissed in terms of opportunity or discussion of when they would have a rematch. I think some of that was real.

Crews-Dezurn has had her own trajectory in the sport; she became undisputed. She also didn’t get the opportunities the other undisputed fighters have had. A lot of Crews-Dezurn’s battle is outside of the ring - for opportunity and recognition. The fight with Shields is important because she doesn’t have a lot of the opportunities other fighters do.

Is there real tension, or is it to sell a fight?

MS: Shields is very good at that type of game; that is how she plays it in all of her fights. Tension, anger, a lot of bravado. She did that with Savannah Marshall in a big way. It cuts a little closer to the bone with someone like Crews-Dezurn, because they are close, they did come up together, and they were important to each other over their careers. Although their careers have taken different trajectories. Shields is in such a different place than when they first fought. She is a lightning rod for negative reactions to her, and has been for a long while.

Is this the great rivalry for Shields?

MS: I don’t know. I don’t know if Crews-Dezurn will be enough of a competitor in the ring. I am not sure what the fight will look like this time. Shields is a beast in the fight game. Shields has become a more disciplined fighter than she ever was. She is more patient in the ring; she is smarter. Shields is just as strong and just as quick. Other than heavy hands, I don’t know if Crews-Dezurn will be enough to make that kind of rivalry.

To me, if there is rivalry, it is at a catchweight with Mikaela Mayer. I think Mayer is the only person who might be able to defeat her, unless someone gets lucky landing a knockout punch. I am not sure the boxing between Shields and Crews-Dezurn will be at the level to create that kind of rivalry, but I could be wrong. I just haven’t seen Crews-Dezurn at that level in her last fights. They have been sloppy and messy. Shields is so disciplined, I am not sure Crews-Dezurn can win.

The hardest thing for Shields appears to be her weight class and the limitations that come with it. The division isn’t stacked, and when she fights elite competition, she tends to dominate outside of the Savannah Marshall fight, to the point where people question how good the fighter was before. It feels like she is damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t. What are your thoughts on that observation?

MS: I agree with you. I only see one current fighter who can be competitive with Shields at 160 or 165lbs, because Mikaela could handle it at that weight. Mikaela has the depth and the experience, as well as the levels that could make a fight competitive. Lauren Price just isn’t there; she isn’t experienced enough. I don’t see Price winning against Mikaela Mayer. Price will get there, but she doesn’t have the levels of experience. I wish Shadasia Green were a better fighter, because she is a great weight and size, but she doesn’t have the skills.