Claressa Shields vs Franchon Crews-Dezurn fight to go ahead despite weigh-in brawl; claressa shields to defend undisputed heavyweight titles

claressa shields will defend her undisputed heavyweight championship against Franchon Crews-Dezurn on Sunday night in Detroit after a heated face-off and a brawl at the weigh-in left Crews-Dezurn reportedly injured. The bout, staged at Little Caesars Arena, put the WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF heavyweight belts on the line and proceeded despite the pre-fight chaos.

Weigh-in brawl on Saturday left Crews-Dezurn reportedly injured but cleared to fight

The build-up to the rematch erupted into chaos at the Saturday weigh-in when Shields and Crews-Dezurn clashed in a heated face-off and a brawl broke out between the rival teams. Franchon Crews-Dezurn was reportedly injured in that melee, but she was able to contest the bout the next night at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Promoter Dmitry Salita said the event was expected to play out in front of a sold-out crowd and described the emotion around what he called one of the biggest rematches in women's boxing.

Longstanding rivalry: Olympic trials, amateur wins and a 2016 professional debut meeting

The fighters have a long shared history. Six months before the 2012 Olympics, a 16-year-old Shields beat national champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn, who was eight years her senior, at the US Olympic trials. Shields later won Olympic gold in London and added two more amateur victories over Crews-Dezurn. The pair also met on their professional debuts in 2016, giving Shields a fourth successive win over her rival from the amateurs.

Claressa Shields adjusted midfight and retained undisputed heavyweight titles by wide margins

On Sunday Shields adjusted to an early onslaught from Crews-Dezurn, seized control of the contest after the opening rounds and never relinquished it. Shields retained her undisputed heavyweight titles by unanimous decision, the scorecards reading 100-90, 100-90 and 100-90. Entering the fight one report listed Shields at 18-0 with 3 KOs, while another noted she had three knockout wins from 17 victories; Franchon Crews-Dezurn was shown with a record of 10-3 and 2 KOs. The performance drew praise for Shields' hand speed and technical precision and continued her standing as Uncrowned's No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer.

Undercard drama: knockouts, a collapse and an upset finish

The undercard was eventful. Danielle Perkins produced a single-punch finish that was described as a Knockout of the Year contender when she bloodied champion Chei Kenneally. Light heavyweight Atif Oberlton defeated Joseph George first-round TKO after George collapsed off his stool following an inactive opening round; George was rushed to a Detroit hospital and was reportedly in stable condition, with trainer Hylon Williams saying George was undergoing an MRI that night. Elsewhere, Samantha Worthington, identified as one of Shields' proteges, suffered a shock defeat when Edith Soledad Matthyse earned a finish at the end of eight rounds.

Contract headlines and next moves: big deal figures and possible opponents named

Off the ring, Shields has been at the center of a major multi-fight deal signed in November with Wynn Records and Salita Promotions that was described as worth $8 million with an additional $3 million signing-on bonus. Shields has spoken openly about the size of the contract and about being ‘‘back paid, ’’ and she has called herself the Greatest Woman of All Time while holding multiple amateur and professional honours. She first became a world champion at super-middleweight in 2017 and is described in context as a two-time Olympic gold medallist, a five-weight world champion and a three-weight undisputed champion. After the rematch, Shields signalled targets including a trilogy with Crews-Dezurn at super middleweight, a fight with the WBO and IBF super-middleweight champion Shadasia Green, or a match against unified super welterweight champion Mikaela Mayer at a catchweight; coach John David Jackson was mentioned as working with Shields on her power.

Throughout the coverage Shields warned that Crews-Dezurn is familiar and dangerous in close quarters, saying her rival would ‘‘bring it’’ and describing Crews-Dezurn as rough, rugged and very experienced. Shields has also expressed a preference for unanimous, decisive wins and for knocking opponents out rather than having close fights.