Claressa Shields, Uncrowned’s No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer, adjusted to an early onslaught from familiar rival Franchon Crews-Dezurn in their rematch Sunday to retain her undisputed heavyweight titles atop a Salita Promotions card that DAZN broadcast from Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena.
From having boxed one another in their respective professional debuts, to a wild brawl that erupted at the weigh-in on Saturday, there was always going to bad blood in the ring.
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But after edge-of-the-seat slugging in the opening rounds, Shields (18-0, 3 KOs) adjusted to her opponent’s pace, took control of the bout and never let it go. Crews-Dezurn’s (10-3, 2 KOs) punches lost their pop following that early blitz, and the WBA and WBC super middleweight champion occupied the middle of the ring having abandoned movement after emptying her tank in the first half of the fight.
Shields has undeniable hand speed and technical precision, and it may not be long before she adds another knockout to her résumé as she continually works on her power with coach, John David Jackson.
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But while that knockout never came Sunday, she still pitched a shutout on the scorecards (100-90, 100-90, 100-90), and then targeted three opponents whom she’d be willing to drop a weight class to get to next — a trilogy with Crews-Dezurn at super middleweight, WBO and IBF champion Shadasia Green at super middleweight, or even unified super welterweight champion Mikaela Mayer at a catchweight.
Also on the main card, Danielle Perkins scored a Knockout of the Year contender when she bloodied the champion Chei Kenneally with a single punch, and Atif Oberlton looked incredibly concerned after his opponent, Joseph George, collapsed off his stool after an inactive opening round, surrendering a loss via retirement. George was rushed to the hospital and is reportedly in stable condition.
Sunday’s undercard was high on drama as well, as Samantha Worthington — one of Shields’ proteges — suffered a shocking upset loss to Edith Soledad Matthyse, who earned a finish at the end of eight rounds.
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Keep scrolling for a blow-by-blow of the main card action, highlights, and all results from Sunday’s prelims.
Fight card
Undisputed heavyweight championship: Claressa Shields def. Franchon Crews-Dezurn via unanimous decision (100-90, 100-90, 100-90)
Light heavyweight: Atif Oberlton def. Joseph George via R1 TKO | Fighter collapses
WBA light heavyweight championship: Danielle Perkins def. Che Kenneally via R6 TKO | Watch finish
Heavyweight:Â Pryce Taylor def. James Evans via R5 TKO | Watch finish
Live coverage is over58 updates
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 8:25 PM PST
Alan Dawson
With Mikaela Mayer in the DAZN booth, commentators were calling for a Shields vs. Mayer scrap throughout the night, but Shields signaled that Mayer is just one of three possibilities.
On Mayer, Shields said she believes that fight is getting closer, but said she’d “love to share the ring with Shadasia [Green]. She’s at 168 [pounds], I’d go down and fight against her. Franchon still has belts at 168. So you might see Shields vs. Crews-Dezurn 3!”
She finished by saying she’d fight Mayer too, “absolutely.”
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 8:20 PM PST
Alan Dawson
“I felt like I had to take my time,” Shields said. “Franchon hits hard, she’s tough, and you have to be tricky with her.
“She was trying to call the upset. She’s the heavy-hitting diva, and that’s one of the best fights I’ve been in. I had to watch my ass every round.”
Shields added: “I wanted to make sure I got her timing, her jab. Franchon has a really good stick. When she puts it out there, the right hand comes after it. But I showcased my skills, body shots. She just wouldn’t go. I thought she was getting ready to go in Round 6 or 7. I wasn’t punching enough maybe in 8 or 9.
“I can beat these girls tremendously. I try hard to get the knockout. I love y’all.”
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 8:16 PM PST
Alan Dawson
And the judges are in agreement…
All three score it 100-90 for the winner, AND STILL!!! THE GWOAT — Claressa Shields.
She’s now 18-0 (3 KOs).
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 8:14 PM PST
Alan Dawson
Shields bumps her gloves together as if to say let’s fight, like she’s Max Holloway pointing at the dirt just before he crushes Justin Gaethje. Shields clubs away on Crews-Dezurn. It’s not one-way traffic but the shots that come back from Crews-Dezurn just lack the pop. Shields tries to close with action. After the bell, Shields looks like she wants to bump gloves but they’re talking now, maybe the rivalry’s not buried. Shields goes to put an arm around her … and they finally embrace. There’s the respect!
Round 10: 99-91 — Shields
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 8:09 PM PST
Alan Dawson
Mikaela Mayer pointed out on commentary that one of the ways in which Crews-Dezurn slipped from her early competitiveness was by failing to move enough, occupying only the middle of the ring, barely heading to the ropes, which allowed Shields to just pick her shots and pick her apart. A large part of why she’s not moving is, perhaps, exhaustion.
Round 9: 89-82 — Shields
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 8:06 PM PST
Alan Dawson
Shields dances as the music plays between rounds, like an old George Foreman tactic of refusing the stool, like there’s no need to rest. Crews-Dezurn throws jabs to the body but misses with hooks. Shields throws punches in bunches again and again. Jab, left, right, positioning, speed … it’s all been on point for Shields. Crews-Dezurn retreats to the stool with blood from the mouth.
Round 8: 79-73 — Shields
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 8:04 PM PST
Alan Dawson
After Shields jabs, she misses with the right hand — and it’s something she’s missed with multiple times through the fight, now. A one-two-three from the inside sends a brutal shot onto Crews-Dezurn’s jaw. Her mouth is now so open she should be concerned Shields could fracture it. Great pace set by Shields. It’s now systematic, and has long been her fight to lose. Shields looks like she could go 12, with 10 being easy work.
Round 7: 69-64 — Shields
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 8:00 PM PST
Alan Dawson
Shields’ jab is now FORCEFUL! And she unloads right and left after right and left! Crews-Dezurn is in TROUBLE in the sixth round! The worst the challenger has looked all fight! That conditioning, spent energy from the first two rounds — she has no second wind. Shields, though, has far greater conditioning and fighting almost like David Benavidez who starts hard and fights harder as each round progresses, forcing an opponent into a brutal submission.
Round 6: 59-55 — Shields
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 7:57 PM PST
Alan Dawson
Crews-Dezurn ducks under hook after hook from Shields, but the champ lands the overhand moments later. Challenger tries body shots but gets clattered to the side of the jaw with one of Shields’s best punches of the night. A wild, telegraphed right hand followed by a tight, close-range uppercut with the left, which lands, is an interesting combination that Shields repeats in the fifth.
Round 5: 49-46 — Shields
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 7:54 PM PST
Alan Dawson
Biggest issue now is Crews-Dezurn’s face is showing punishment, and her punching style is now almost more like a push-shot. Right-hand counter from Shields, three-shot combinations, and she’s enjoying ownership of the middle of the ring. Shields is already fighting and moving like she has endurance to weather any battle. Another three-shot combination, but this one interrupted from a right hook by Crews-Dezurn.
Round 4: 39-37 — Shields
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 7:52 PM PST
Alan Dawson
Franchon with a lead jab, which she throws often, but also has the counter one-two. She has skill but in this matchup is being more of a slugger — with Shields using a combination of technical finesse and doghouse boxing. Neither are shying away from the fight. And both are breathing heavily already!
Round 3: 29-28 — Shields
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 7:50 PM PST
Alan Dawson
Crews-Dezurn backs Shields into the ropes early, again, in the round. Claressa has to fight back, and does! Constant punching just backed Crews-Dezurn up. Shields ducks under a punch. Crews-Dezern’s hand-speed is significantly slower than Shields’. Franchon finishes the round with a jab and overhand. This is a fan-friendly fight so far!
Round 2: 19-19
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 7:45 PM PST
Alan Dawson
Crews-Dezurn backs Shields into the red corner and they’re attacking each other already! There is no love lost here — and how can they even think about maintaining this pace throughout? But these exchanges are grueling and unrelenting from close range! Mostly, it should be noted, instigated by Crews-Dezurn. A great strategy to see if she can unravel the champion. Crews-Dezurn flurries again. Shields barely with a bruise, though, happy to pick her spots and stick her jab in her challenger’s mouth. Shields has faster hands. A barnburner!
Round 1: 10-9 — Crews-Dezurn
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 7:37 PM PST
Alan Dawson
Everyone holds their cell phones aloft, to the beat of “The Champ is Here,” elaborate drums and cymbals, and one of the greatest smiles in boxing now adorns Claressa Shields’ face. Here we go! And she’s rapping along with crowd members, as an entourage and Boozy Badass accompanies her to the ring.
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 7:33 PM PST
Alan Dawson
She loosens up midway through her ring walk, singing, gesturing. She looks ready, as Corey Erdman says on the DAZN commentary that she was the predecessor to Shields in the amateur game, lost her debut to a debuting Shields in the pro game, but can now do damage, just like she did against Maricela Cornejo, and Shadasia Green, rebounding from a loss to Savannah Marshall.
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 7:30 PM PST
Alan Dawson
From the entrances of the headline fighters, to the Detroit mayor, and the national anthem singer, there’s some incredible fits at Little Caesars Arena.
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 7:25 PM PST
Alan Dawson
I’m going repeat for Shields rather than revenge for Crews-Dezurn.
This is just her time, she’s got one of the greatest skillsets in the entire women’s game. She’s boxing in front of 18,000 people. New partnerships. It’s all coming together for her, against a fighter she’s already beaten who, though has improved and won titles since then, she’s 38 — eight years Shields’s senior.
The biggest thing that makes this bout interesting, for me, is that wild brawl at the weigh-in. It adds more needle to the fight, they went back-and-forth on X today, and both fighters will need to fight with logic, rather than emotion. Easier said than done, though.
I’m still looking forward to watching it all unfold.
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 7:06 PM PST
Alan Dawson
“I haven’t [seen anything like that],” pound-for-pound boxer, Mikaela Mayer, said on the DAZN broadcast. “I’ve seen a delayed knockdown. He sat on the stool, then fell off. Very delayed.
“Shout out to George, respectful of his opponent.”
“Hopefully, George is okay. The only thing I can think of, is a bad weight cut, bad nutrition. And any [shot to the head] can cause trauma [when dehydrated].”
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 7:03 PM PST
Alan Dawson
“I know I was being defensively responsible, if he fell in and a head butt happened, I just know I avoided the shot,” Oberlton told DAZN’s Chris Mannix.
“I’m glad he got on his feet and he’s okay.”
“If he wants to run it back, we can do it.”
“I’m just glad he’s okay. I told him, ‘I have love for you, bro.’ And wanted to know he was safe.”
Sun, February 22, 2026 at 6:58 PM PST
Alan Dawson
But the crowd doesn’t cheer. At all.
I think everyone is still in shock.