DETROIT – Claressa Shields retained her undisputed heavyweight championship in a highly entertaining one-sided fight, defeating unified super middleweight titleholder Franchon Crews-Dezurn via shutout, with all three judges scoring the bout 100-90.
Their rivalry had boiled over in recent days – both on social media and in-person– and that showed up in the opening two rounds, bringing the crowd at the Little Caesars Arena here in Shields’ home state to their feet. Crews-Dezurn came forward and let her hands go, while Shields went back and forth between defending herself and flurrying in return. When Shields was able to get some space in the second half of the second round, she landed a counter left hook as Crews-Dezurn came forward.
In the third round, Crews-Dezurn maneuvered Shields to the ropes and leaned on her, but Shields positioned her body to get just enough room for her to lace in a strong right hand. Later, Crews-Dezurn bullied Shields to the ropes again and let loose with a barrage, and Shields threw heavy hands in return, much to the approval of the crowd.
The fast pace that Crews-Dezurn had set showed on her face at the start of the fourth, with her mouth wide open as she tried to get more air. Less pressure from Crews-Dezurn meant more room for Shields, and more room for Shields meant she could send out four-punch combos or load up on heavy right hands.
Not that Crews-Dezurn wasn’t still throwing. And not that Crews-Dezurn wasn’t able to dodge some of Shields’ shots. But in the fifth, it was Shields who continued to have the time and space to throw first. Crews-Dezurn smartly threw a right uppercut as Shields came forward. Shields landed a right hand and a left hook, sent a few jabs out in a row, and countered with a good right hand. Just before the bell, Shields dished out a one-two that Crews-Dezurn dodged.
Crews-Dezurn got a second wind in the sixth, but Shields landed a couple of counters, backed Crews-Dezurn off with two strong jabs, and delivered a good one-two. Soon Shields paired a left hook to the body with one to the head. Shields pummeled Crews-Dezurn with flush combinations. Crews-Dezurn wanted to do the same, but when she threw heavy shots in return, they mostly didn’t land, and those that did land didn’t deter Shields’ attack.
Shields wisely went to the body at the start of the seventh, trying to suck even more of Crews-Dezurn’s energy away. Crews-Dezurn clinched a few times in the round, showing that she was indeed in need of rest and respite. Crews-Dezurn did land a good right hand over Shields’ jab, but again it was not enough to stem Shields’ offense. Shields got the better of an exchange as the round came to a close, and as the fight was clearly getting out of reach for Crews-Dezurn on the scorecards.
Shields danced as the eighth was about to begin. Crews-Dezurn wasn’t going away yet as a dance partner, landing a solid right hand that Shields absorbed without trouble. The pace understandably finally slowed at the start of the ninth, and when the action began to pick up again, it was Shields landing crisp blows to Crews-Dezurn’s head and body, confident and in control, yet respectful enough not to be reckless. Shields was the one landing heavily, but Crews-Dezurn still wasn’t one to take lightly.
The 10th and final round brought one last sprint. Crews-Dezurn didn’t have enough wind left in her sails, and Shields capably dodged much of what came her way and delivered the cleaner punches.
They embraced after the final bell. The fight was over. And their rivalry, which reaches back to their amateur days, is over. Their friendship, which also reaches back to their amateur days, can now resume.
Shields and Crews-Dezurn famously shared their pro debut in late 2016, which Shields also won via shutout, winning a four-rounder. But they have known each other since Shields was 15 and Crews-Dezurn was 23.
They fought three times in the amateurs.Shields triumphed over Crews-Dezurn in their opening bout at the Olympic trials in February 2012, winning comfortably on points. A couple of months after Shields’ won her first Olympic gold medal in 2012, she took on and defeated Crews-Dezurn again, this time in the finals of the Police Athletic League championships. And in early 2014, with the US national championship on the line, Shields came out on top one more time.
Professionally, they have both had successful careers. Shields calls herself the “GWOAT,” or Greatest Woman of All Time, and she has a reasonable argument for that given that she has gone on to win world titles in five weight classes, including being a four-time undisputed champion in three divisions.
But there is a tremendous lack of depth in the heavier weight classes of women’s boxing. So it was no surprise that one possible bout for the 30-year-old Shields, now 18-0 (3 KOs), is with Mikaela Mayer, a three-division titleholder most recently won belts at 154lbs. Shields came in lighter than 175lbs for this fight and could potentially go lower if there were to be a catch-weight.
Crews-Dezurn is 38 years old and is now 10-3 (2 KOs). She is a former undisputed super middleweight champion who lost that crown to Savannah Marshall but has since regained two belts that were stripped from Marshall (who subsequently lost the other two to Shadasia Green). There remain a few fights for Crews-Dezurn at 168lbs if she chooses to continue, or she could also aim for one of the titleholders at light heavyweight, including Danielle Perkins, who captured the WBA belt on the undercard.
The co-feature ended abruptly and frighteningly – with Joseph George Jnr passing out in his corner following the first round of his bout with light heavyweight prospect Atif Oberlton.
The fight had otherwise been uneventful in its first three minutes. Oberlton worked behind a pawing jab as George tried to rush in on him. At one point in the round, George was shoved to the ground and winced with one eye when he stood up, perhaps the result of an accidental clash of heads. When George went back to the blue corner after the bell, he sat on his stool and then fell forward to the canvas and appeared to be unconscious, with medics quickly rushing to the ring to treat him.
George soon regained consciousness. As a medical backboard was brought to the ring, George was helped to his feet. A concerned Oberlton came to him, embraced George and gave him a kiss on the head. George was soon seated on a stool in his corner with ice on the back of his neck as medics examined him, and as a stretcher was being set up outside of the ring. BoxingScene will seek to monitor this situation and will provide updates as more information becomes available.
It was announced that Oberlton was the winner by technical knockout. Records and results don’t really matter in this kind of situation. But for those who need to know, Oberlton, a highly touted 27-year-old from Philadelphia, is now 15-0 with 13 KOs. George, a 36-year-old from Houston, is now 13-2 (8 KOs).
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
