Claressa Shields will defend her undisputed heavyweight title in Detroit on February 22, returning home for a rematch with Franchon Crews-Dezurn in her first fight since signing a landmark $8 million promotional deal. The fight will headline the Dazn Card at Little Caesars Arena, home of the NBA's Pistons and the NHL's Red Wings, which has attracted Shields. nearly sold out crowd for her last fight in July last year.
Shields (17-0, 3 KOs) and Crews-Dezurn (10-2, 2 KOs) first met almost a decade ago when they made their professional debuts against each other on the undercard Andre Ward's victory over Sergey Kovalev in 2016. That night in Las Vegas, Shields won a four-round unanimous decision, a moment she still considers to be defining. “I had just won two Olympic gold medals, had just come out of the amateurs, and finding an opponent was difficult,” she said in a press release announcing the fight. “Franchon intervened. I've grown a lot since that first win, but Franchon and I have unfinished business to take care of.”
The Michigan-born star and two-time Olympic gold medalist returns to action for the first time since reuniting with Salita Promotions and bringing on Wynn Records as a co-promotional partner. She said the new fighting in her home state comes with its own pressures. “Selling Little Caesars Arena was a dream and my fans made it a reality,” she said. “Fighting in Michigan motivates me, but it also puts pressure on me because I never want to let them down.”
Crews-Dezurn, who became the undisputed super middleweight champion in 2022 before losing it to Britain's Savannah Marshall, will move up to heavyweight for the rematch. She said the meeting came at the right time for both fighters. “I've been waiting and working for this moment for a long time,” she said. “This time, I am a proven champion with a great legacy. I dare to become even better by gaining weight and going to hell to create my own paradise.”
Shields, who said she is fully healthy after what she described as injury-plagued performances in recent performances, said she plans to end the rivalry decisively. “I won by unanimous decision the first time, but I don't have those plans on February 22nd. My plan is to put Franchon Crews on my back and come away with a knockout. Franchon is the elite, but I am the super elite.”
Promoter Dmitry Salita said the rematch represents the growth of both fighters since their joint debuts in the Ward-Kovalev fight. “Almost ten years ago, Claressa and Franchon entered the ring as two Olympians making their professional debut,” he said. “Both have since become world champions and world leaders in women’s boxing.”
Shields' return comes months after she decided to stay with the promoter who had managed her since her debut, ending a multi-fight deal with a guaranteed minimum of $8 million. with Salita Promotions in partnership with Wynn Records. The deal follows a brief period during which Shields explored free agency following her title defense against Lani Daniels in July.
She ultimately decided to stay, saying the new deal provided the scale and exposure she had long sought in women's boxing and fit with her wider ambitions outside the ring.
The partnership with Wynn Records, a multi-artist music company that features Shields as its first athlete, is designed to combine boxing with cultural and entertainment projects. Salita called Shields “one of the defining athletes of her generation” when the pact was announced and said the collaboration aims to create opportunities that traditional promotional models don't have.
Shields, who has attracted interest from multiple suitors and even made a high-profile but so far unsuccessful attempt to lure Laila Ali out of retirement, said the new agreement reflects her intention to continue changing the economics and expectations surrounding women's boxing.
