Once again, Claressa Shields delivered a clear-cut victory. The bout against Franchon Crews-Dezurn, made especially heated by the brawl that broke out during the weigh-in, turned out to be completely one-sided. The unified women’s heavyweight champion dominated all ten rounds at the Little Caesars Arena, earning a unanimous decision with three identical scorecards of 100–90.
In the days leading up to the fight, Crews-Dezurn had worn a cap bearing the word “WAR,” the same one famously worn by Marvin Hagler before his historic victory over Thomas Hearns, as if to signal her battle-ready intentions. And indeed, she came out aggressively. But what happened in the opening seconds of the first round proved that good intentions, in boxing as in life, are sometimes not enough.
The challenger stormed at Shields, pinning her in the corner and trying to unleash heavy shots. Shields, however, remained completely composed, easily slipping the barrage and responding with excellent timing and surgical precision.
The champion closed the first round in superb fashion, showcasing a speed advantage that was miles ahead of her opponent’s. She consistently beat Crews-Dezurn to the punch, landing three- and four-punch combinations in the time it took her rival to load up a single shot.
Crews-Dezurn gave the illusion of getting back into the fight in the third round, but Shields exploded in the closing moments, engaging in fierce exchanges at close range and emerging unscathed.
Gradually, Crews-Dezurn had no choice but to abandon her warlike plans and began retreating, completely out of solutions against Shields’ talent. She also appeared to lack the athletic resources to keep up with the champion’s pace, breathing heavily with her mouth open by the middle rounds.
The sixth round was the most lopsided of the contest. Shields unleashed her claws, honoring her “T-Rex” nickname, and delivered a punishing assault that made a stoppage seem possible.
After dominating those fiery two minutes, however, Shields eased off and in the later rounds was content to remain firmly in control without aggressively pursuing a knockout.
Crews-Dezurn mounted a final show of pride only in the tenth and last round, twice backing Shields to the ropes and landing a few shots that, due to the close distance, did not appear especially effective. Once she regained center ring, Shields responded emphatically, finishing the fight with the same intensity she had shown at the start.
The embrace between the two fighters after the final bell was a beautiful image, especially considering the ugly scenes at the weigh-in, which had nearly jeopardized the bout. Crews-Dezurn had even suffered a minor ankle injury during the backstage scuffle.
It is becoming increasingly evident that Claressa Shields has no real rivals on today’s international stage. She has decisively defeated every opponent placed in front of her, and her team now struggles to find a matchup whose outcome would not seem heavily predictable beforehand.
Intergenerational comparisons are difficult. It is impossible to say with certainty who would have won between Shields and Laila Ali at their respective peaks. However, in this writer’s opinion, based on what she has accomplished as both an amateur and a professional, Shields fully deserves the title of GWOAT (Greatest Woman Of All Time), a label she has proudly embraced for years.