EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsDETROIT -- Undisputed heavyweight champion Claressa Shields and longtime rival Franchon Crews-Dezurn promised an action-packed fight Sunday night -- and they delivered, with Shields defending her crown via unanimous decision at Little Caesars Arena.All three judges scored the 10-round bout 100-90.Shields, fighting at home, improved to 18-0 (2 KOs). Crews-Dezurn, who holds a super middleweight title, fell to 10-3."I had to take my time tonight," Shields said. "That's one of the toughest fights I've been in during my pro career. She hits hard these days."It was a rematch of their 2016 pro debut in which Shields earned a four-round decision victory.Both fighters pressed the action from the opening round, but Shields, ESPN's No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound women's boxer, began to wear down her opponent by the fifth round.The victory marked Shields' second defense of her undisputed heavyweight crown, which she won in February 2025 in a unanimous decision over Danielle Perkins.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
