Claressa Shields has smashed her way through the current crop of heavyweight contenders and even called out 47-year-old pioneer Laila Ali. But her biggest potential challenge for the undisputed women’s heavyweight title isn’t a retired legend—it’s someone she knows very well.
Franchón Crews-Dezurn, a former undisputed champion at super middleweight, has long shown Shields respect. The two have even referred to each other as sisters. But Crews-Dezurn wants her shot, and she’s tired of being dismissed and deprioritized.
“Been at 168 my whole career,” she told me via text. “I’ll gladly come to heavyweight to fight. What are we doing?”
I spoke to Crews-Dezurn, her promoter Dmitriy Salita, and her manager Peter Kahn on Wednesday. All three made one thing clear: Crews-Dezurn deserves to be Shields’ next opponent. Kahn even said he was under the impression that the fight was next.
Shields last fought in July, successfully defending her title with a lopsided unanimous decision win over Lani Daniels at Little Caesars Arena in her home state of Michigan. Crews-Dezurn was in the building, having been told she would get a faceoff opportunity with Shields after the bout.
That moment never came.
Shields later explained, “That was my moment. I can have that.” The post-fight spotlight, she said, was hers—and she opted not to share it. Behind the scenes, it also marked the end of her longtime promotional relationship with Salita. Shields is now a promotional free agent.
Crews-Dezurn took to social media afterward to express her frustration with the situation. Though she and Shields appeared to patch things up publicly, Crews-Dezurn still feels she’s not being given her due—and she’s not about to let the issue go without getting the fight she believes she’s earned, along with the compensation that should come with it.
When I asked if she felt dismissed by Shields, Crews-Dezurn didn’t hesitate.
“Yes—her, and by others as well,” she said. “All the girls from 160 and up that have juice—up-and-comers and those who claim to be the best. [Shadasia] Green, [Savannah] Marshall, Shields, and whoever else. I’m the most consistent, and I’ve been here—still here. I want to fight, and I deserve to be paid properly too.”
The history between Shields and Crews-Dezurn runs deep. The two met in their respective professional debuts back in November 2016, with Shields winning a four-round unanimous decision. That was nearly nine years ago. The question now is whether a rematch plays out the same way.
Based on pedigree, size, skills, and intangibles, no fighter in the world is better positioned to challenge Shields at heavyweight—or potentially even beat her. Crews-Dezurn is known for her grit, her ability to thrive in close quarters, and her willingness to drag opponents into deep waters. But the opportunity has to materialize.
“I know who I am and what I can do with the right circumstances,” she said. “Being as though I still find a way to win even in messed-up circumstances, I can agree. In regards to her—the girls she’s fought had ample time, resources, and support to prepare to fight her. Unfortunately, people are going off a four-round fight I took off the couch on two-and-a-half weeks’ notice.”
“Every fight we’ve had has been competitive. She’s gotten decisions over me, but I’ve never gotten my ass beat. In fact, some argue I beat her before in the amateurs. Politics and BS have plagued my career, but it’s cool. I’m just trusting my journey and doing my thing.”
While Shields is smartly mapping out her future with financial goals in mind—as she should—there’s still a lingering question around the decision to invite Crews-Dezurn and others to Detroit only to leave them with no real clarity on next steps.
“I felt disrespected as a world champion and business owner,” Crews-Dezurn said. “I was in one city handling business for my two upcoming NYFW showcases and got called to take care of my boxing business—only to be made an extra in the ‘Claressa Show.’ I support her and chose to support her from afar because she’s killing it, and I’m killing it in my lane.”
She continued: “The necessary steps have been made to make this happen. I signed with Salita under the basis that we would fight. So to go out to Detroit and have an unpleasant experience really frustrated me. I’m intentional with my time.”
Her frustration wasn’t just about the lack of a faceoff—it was also about the optics.
“The other signee, Che, was there being interviewed and speaking like she’s going to fight her next—so if that’s the plan, I didn’t need to be there. I’ll beat her too. Shields is talking about fighting Green—I’ve beaten her and made her have a mental breakdown. Marshall? I felt I won that fight. She stayed out the ring for two years after me.”
Crews-Dezurn isn’t shy about how she sees herself in the current landscape.
“I know I’m a problem—especially when I’m on. It’s high risk for Shields and all of them. When I debuted against Shields, I bet on myself—and that turned into undisputed champion, unified champion, longest-reigning champion. I’ve paid my dues. I shouldn’t be disrespected like how boxing is doing.”
“They want the best fighting the best—I am one of the best. A true champion that got it out the mud, off the muscle. Been at 168 my whole career. I’ll gladly come to heavyweight to fight. What are we doing?”
If we’re being honest, Shields is running out of legitimate heavyweight challengers. She’ll either need to come down in weight or fight someone like Crews-Dezurn soon. To be clear: Shields has never had a reputation for ducking challenges. But if this fight doesn’t happen soon, whispers could easily turn into outright claims.
“Franchón Crews is one of the best fighters in the world,” Salita said. “When you strip away the spin and bias, she stands out as the biggest and most challenging fight for Claressa. This isn’t speculation—it’s proven history. In one of the toughest pro debuts in boxing history, these two champions faced each other, and both went on to become dominant forces in the sport. This is a clash between two elite world champions, each with a track record of stepping up to fight the very best.”
A Shields-Crews-Dezurn matchup would have something many of Shields’ recent fights haven’t—two fighters with name recognition and championship credibility.
“Franchón’s legacy in the sport is already cemented,” Kahn added. “She has already had a Hall of Fame career. Becoming a two-time, two-division champion will be the icing on the cake. I know what she is capable of, and I believe the timing is right for her to pull the upset of all upsets.”
Maybe we’ll get the chance to find out if he’s right.
