Who Won The Claressa Shields Fight — Unanimous Defense and What It Means for Her Next Moves
Who Won The Claressa Shields Fight is no longer a mystery: Claressa Shields left Little Caesars Arena with a unanimous decision win that tightens her grip on the undisputed heavyweight picture and pushes several career pivots closer to reality. The outcome matters because it clears the way for planned opponents, a high-profile catchweight target, and a stated timeline that includes taking time off for family in 2027.
Who Won The Claressa Shields Fight — immediate consequences for matchups and timing
Shields' unanimous decision defense reshapes near-term matchmaking. She said she wants a fight with Shadasia Green next, followed by a catchweight meeting with Mikaela Mayer at 162 or 163 pounds, and then a planned pause in 2027 to have children. Those next steps make this defense a clearing move: rather than an end point, the victory sets up a sequence of targeted bouts and a defined personal timeline.
Event details and how the fight played out
In Detroit, at Little Caesars Arena, the undisputed heavyweight champion Claressa Shields and longtime rival Franchon Crews-Dezurn delivered a 10-round bout that went the distance. All three judges scored the fight 100-90. Both fighters pressed action from the opening round; Crews-Dezurn opened with a strong flurry in rounds one and two, and Shields began to wear her down by the fifth round. Shields adjusted her approach by focusing on jab timing and landing pinpoint jabs in later rounds to pull away on the scorecards. The fight left a visible stitch on Shields' face, and after more than 17, 000 fans watched the bout, the two fighters embraced in the ring.
Shields, a native of Flint, Michigan, described taking her time, noting Crews-Dezurn hits hard and is very tough; she said Crews-Dezurn tried for the upset and landed some shots but that the match was one of the best in her professional career at 10 rounds. Crews-Dezurn still holds a super middleweight title and fell to a 10-3 record in this contest. Shields said she could have delivered more body work and plans to improve from the experience.
What’s easy to miss is the coverage inconsistency on Shields' record: one item lists her as improving to 18-0 (3 KOs) after the fight, while other material describes her with 17-0 (3 KOs) and 17 professional wins; this is unclear in the provided context.
Career status, accolades and conflicting tallies
Shields is identified in the coverage as the undisputed women’s heavyweight champion and the No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound women's boxer. She is also described as the reigning WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO women’s heavyweight champion and as a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2012, 2016). Prior to heavyweight, the record shows she held world titles at super welterweight, middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight.
Other career notes in the material: Shields won the undisputed heavyweight crown in February 2025 by unanimous decision over Danielle Perkins, and the recent victory marked her second defense of that crown. Additional items state that at age 30 she has a documentary titled "T-Rex" and a feature film called "The Fire Inside, " and that in November she announced an $8 million contract with Wynn Records and Salita Promotions described as the most lucrative deal in women's boxing history. The coverage also notes that many peers have signed with a promotions group known as Most Valuable Promotions, and Shields said she could have signed with that group but preferred to chart her own course.
Fight atmosphere, notable moments and audience
The card drew a star-studded crowd. Celebrities listed in the coverage included a boxing champion guest, rapper Tee Grizzley, comedians Mike Epps and Michael Blackson, among others. Rapper Lil Boosie joined Shields for her ring walk and performed his hit song "Set It Off. " The matchup was described as a rematch of their 2016 pro debut in Las Vegas, where Shields won a four-round decision on the undercard of Andre Ward's light heavyweight title bout with Sergey Kovalev.
Micro timeline and ancillary notes
- 2016: Shields and Crews-Dezurn met in their pro debuts; Shields won a four-round decision in Las Vegas on the undercard of the Ward–Kovalev light heavyweight title fight.
- February 2025: Shields won the undisputed heavyweight crown by unanimous decision over Danielle Perkins.
- Most recent: Shields defended the undisputed heavyweight title in a 10-round unanimous decision at Little Caesars Arena; judges scored it 100-90 each; attendance exceeded 17, 000.
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- Shields outlined a clear near-term plan: Shadasia Green, then a catchweight with Mikaela Mayer at 162 or 163, then a 2027 pause for family.
- She described the recent fight as among her best 10-round professional bouts and praised Crews-Dezurn's toughness.
Here’s the part that matters: the win consolidates Shields' bargaining position and clears a logical path to the specific fights she named, while also locking in a public timeline toward a possible family break in 2027. The real question now is whether the planned opponents and the stated catchweight terms line up with promoters and commissions as Shields seeks those next bouts.
- Shields' unanimous decision defense (three 100-90 cards) strengthens her immediate hand in making the next fights she named.
- Conflicting mentions of her pro record in the material leave the exact win total unclear in the provided context.
- The February 2025 title win over Danielle Perkins is a confirmed anchor for her undisputed status in heavyweight.
- Public interest is heightened by celebrity presence, pre-fight theatrics, and Shields' off-ring media assets (documentary and feature film).
It’s easy to overlook, but the mix of a high-profile contract, the undisputed title defenses and Shields' stated personal timeline together create a tight window for the next two years of her career — and for opponents plotting how to challenge her while she pursues both legacy fights and personal plans.