Claressa Shields has come full circle: on Saturday she will fight Franchon Crews-Dezurn of all people in the first fight of her multi-million dollar new contract – and defend her undisputed heavyweight status in the process.
Claressa Shields loves stories that write themselves. Six months before the 2012 Olympic Games, the 16-year-old draws the national number one at the US trials: Franchon Crews-Dezurn. Shields wins, goes to London and takes gold. Two more amateur victories against Crews-Dezurn followed, then a fourth success on their professional debut together in 2016.
Now comes chapter five. On Saturday, Shields defends her undisputed heavyweight status – again against Crews-Dezurn. For Shields, it feels like a match of destiny: the two are “always connected for some reason,” she says.
Contract with an announcement
The timing is no coincidence, but a stage. Shields is stepping into the ring for the first time since signing her new multi-fight deal. The contract, signed in November with Wynn Records and Salita Promotions, is said to be worth 8 million dollars – plus a 3 million dollar signing bonus. Sums that are rare in women’s boxing. Shields sees this as belated justice. After two Olympic victories, she didn’t get a big bonus back then. Now, years later, it feels like she is getting back what she missed out on.
The 30-year-old is unbeaten as a professional, won her first world title in just her fourth fight and has been stacking up belts across several weight classes ever since. Her next drive comes not from lack, but from ambition: she wants to go for the knockout more often after dominating opponents for a long time.
The challengers have also come forward. Lauren Price and Mikaela Mayer have recently come knocking publicly. Shields’ answer is clear: if they want to prove how big they are, then on their terms. She doesn’t want to “drop two or three weight classes” just because others are calling. As a comparison, she cites Terence Crawford, who went up several limits for the Canelo fight.
Text by Robin Josten