The fight streamed live on DAZN, with Shields making a hometown trip with rapper Boosie after a week that has already seen tempers boil over at the weigh-in. A scuffle between camps and talk of a slight leg problem for Crews-Dezurn added heat, but once the bell rang, the tone shifted to something more clinical.
Crews-Dezurn came forward early and forced exchanges in the opening rounds, looking to rough Shields and test her up close. Shields absorbed the pressure and, as she created space late in the second, cracked a counter left hook as Crews-Dezurn stepped in — an early sign that timing would trump aggression. In the third, Crews-Dezurn muscled Shields on the ropes and leaned on her, but Shields found just enough space to fire back with a sharp right hand.
That edge didn’t last long. By the fourth, Crews-Dezurn’s quick start started to show, her mouth open as she gasped for air as Shields settled into the rhythm. The champion began to dictate distance with faster feet, tighter defense and sharper combinations.
From the center the gap was pronounced in speed and timing. Shields worked behind her jab, stepping around Crews-Dezurn’s lead and answering each surge with clean, compact volleys. She mixed straight rights with left hooks underneath, gradually draining the challenger’s output and forcing her into clinches for relief.
Ringside scores reflected the pattern. One observer had it nine rounds to one after ten had been completed. Another capped it with a shutout at 100-90. There was no knockdown and no single dramatic moment, just build-up and control. Crews-Dezurn continued to press in the final round, but her legs looked heavy and her attacks increasingly predictable. Shields locked with authority, landing right hands and digs to the body as the clock ran out.
The official verdict confirmed what the eye suggested: a decisive unanimous decision for Shields, who moves to 18 wins without a loss while Crews-Dezurn drops to 10-3.
Their rivalry dates back to when Shields was 15 and Crews-Dezurn 23, with Shields winning three amateur events before their shared professional debuts in 2016. Saturday’s result left little room for debate about the hierarchy. Crews-Dezurn proved willing and sustainable early on, but over ten rounds she couldn’t match Shields’ pace or precision. Fighting in front of a supportive Detroit crowd, Shields delivered a composed defense that solidified her position at heavyweight and cemented her claim as the leading figure of her era.
