Who Won The Claressa Shields Fight — Unanimous Win Tightens Her Hold on American Heavyweight Momentum

Why this matters now: who won the claressa shields fight is more than a scoreboard line — it is a signal that Shields is further consolidating competitive dominance and commercial leverage in the heavyweight space. Her win on a major arena stage reinforces an ongoing career arc that blends multi-division championships, Olympic pedigree and a high-value contract, shifting how American heavyweight boxing is being defined.

Market and performance shift: Shields as the focal point of the heavyweight conversation

Shields is presented in the provided context as the single American heavyweight currently in possession of a world title, a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2012 and 2016) and a boxer whose career spans multiple weight divisions with world titles at super welterweight, middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight. At age 30 she also has a documentary, "T-Rex, " and a feature film, "The Fire Inside. " A November contract worth $8 million with Wynn Records and Salita Promotions is said to map her next two years and is described as the most lucrative deal in women's boxing history. Peers signing with Jake Paul and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) have been noted in the same context, with MVP characterized as a one-stop shop for women’s boxing; Shields is described as choosing a different commercial path that keeps accomplishments in her own control.

Who Won The Claressa Shields Fight

In Detroit at Little Caesars Arena, undisputed heavyweight champion Claressa Shields defended her crown unanimous decision in a 10-round fight where all three judges scored it 100-90. Her opponent was longtime rival Franchon Crews-Dezurn, who still holds a super middleweight title and whose record is listed in the provided context as falling to 10-3. Attendance at the arena exceeded 17, 000 fans, and the fighters shared a warm embrace in the ring after ten rounds.

Fight flow, adjustments and physical toll

Both fighters pressed action from the opening bell. Crews-Dezurn came out strong with a flurry in the first two rounds, while Shields began to wear her down by the fifth round through timing and pinpoint jabs later in the fight that pulled her away on the scorecards. The bout left a stitch on Shields' face. Shields said she felt she could have landed more body punches and planned to improve, and she acknowledged that Crews-Dezurn tried to cause an upset and landed some shots. Shields characterized the match as one of the best fights of her pro career at 10 rounds and said she thought Crews-Dezurn had won two rounds, though she did not know which.

Shared history and the rematch angle

This bout was a rematch of the fighters' 2016 professional debut in Las Vegas, where Shields won a four-round decision on the undercard of the Andre Ward vs Sergey Kovalev light heavyweight title bout. The two climbed the ranks together as longtime amateur rivals but set their friendship aside for this professional rematch. The ring walk included performer Lil Boosie singing his hit "Set It Off, " and the crowd included notable figures from boxing and entertainment such as Terence Crawford, rapper Tee Grizzley and comedians Mike Epps and Michael Blackson.

Records, recent defenses and next steps

The provided context lists two different records for Shields: one item says she improved to 18-0 (3 KOs) while another lists 17-0 (3 KOs); this discrepancy is unclear in the provided context. The victory here is described as her second defense of the undisputed heavyweight crown she won in February 2025 by unanimous decision over Danielle Perkins. Moving forward, Shields said she wants a fight with Shadasia Green and then a catchweight bout with Mikaela Mayer at 162 or 163 pounds. She also spoke about personal plans: referencing 2026 and saying that in 2027 she wants to take time off to have her own kids, noting she hugged her niece during a postfight news conference.

• Shields' profile mixes competitive credentials (Olympic golds, multi-weight titles) with commercial momentum (an $8 million November contract) and cultural visibility (documentary and feature film).
• Here’s the part that matters: a unanimous 100-90 judges’ sweep in a high-attendance arena fight strengthens both her sporting case and her leverage for the next phase of matchmaking and deals.
• Crews-Dezurn remains a decorated opponent, still holding a super middleweight title and pushing Shields across ten rounds.
• Plans cited — a Green fight, a catchweight with Mayer, and a potential break in 2027 for family — create a near-term roadmap that mixes competitive ambition and personal priorities.

It’s easy to overlook, but the combination of sustained title defenses and a major commercial contract marks a different commercial era for women’s heavyweight boxing — one that elevates matchmaking choices into career-defining moves.

Historical note embedded: when invoking the lineage of American heavyweights, the provided context lists many historical nicknames — "The Greatest, " "The Brown Bomber, " "The Rock, " "Jersey Joe, " "Smokin’ Joe, " "The Galveston Giant, " "The Manassa Mauler, " "Sonny, " "The Big Bear, " "Big George, " "The Easton Assassin, " "Iron Mike, " "The Real Deal" and "Big Daddy" — and frames Shields as the contemporary American heavyweight who now carries those heavyweight signifiers into a new era.