Undisputed Women’s Heavyweight World Championship | Sunday, February 22, 2026 | Little Caesars Arena, Detroit | DAZN, 8 PM ET
It’s fight week in Detroit, and the story writes itself. Claressa Shields vs Franchon Crews-Dezurn 2 is a rematch nearly a decade in the making — and it lands this Sunday night at Little Caesars Arena with the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship on the line, streaming live on DAZN.
On November 19, 2016, two decorated Olympic gold medalists — Claressa “The GWOAT” Shields and Franchon “The Heavy Hitting Diva” Crews-Dezurn — made their simultaneous professional debuts against each other on the undercard of Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev. Shields took the unanimous decision that night. Nearly a decade later, both women went on to become undisputed world champions, and now their paths converge again — this time with Shields’ Undisputed Heavyweight World Championship on the line.
The Champion: Claressa Shields (17-0, 3 KOs)
Shields enters the Claressa Shields vs Franchon Crews-Dezurn rematch as the clear favorite, and the numbers back it up. The 30-year-old from Flint, Michigan, is a three-division undisputed champion, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, an ESPY Award winner, a Michigan Sports Hall of Fame inductee, and the holder of 19 world titles across her career. She has never lost a professional fight.
This is her first bout since signing the historic $8 million deal with Salita Promotions and Wynn Records — the largest contract in women’s boxing history — and the significance of the occasion is not lost on her.
Shields has been training with John David Jackson in Florida and says she’s fully healthy for the first time in several fights. At the media workout at Warriors Boxing Gym in Hollywood, Florida, she looked sharp, fluid, and fast — running through shadowboxing, pad work, and defensive drills with the precision that has made her the pound-for-pound best in women’s boxing.
She’s made no secret of her intentions: she wants the knockout.
“In my first fight with Franchon I won a unanimous decision, but come February 22, I don’t have those same plans. I plan on putting Franchon Crews on her back and leaving with the KO. My last few fights, I was dealing with injuries, but now I’m 100 percent. Franchon is elite, but I am super elite.” — Claressa Shields
The Challenger: Franchon Crews-Dezurn (10-2, 2 KOs)
Don’t count Crews-Dezurn out of the Shields vs Crews-Dezurn 2 showdown. The 38-year-old from Norfolk, Virginia, is a former undisputed super middleweight champion who unified the division before losing her belts to Savannah Marshall in 2023. She is a legitimate world-class fighter stepping into the biggest opportunity of her career — a chance to dethrone the GWOAT in her hometown.
The wrinkle here is the weight jump. Crews-Dezurn is moving up from super middleweight to heavyweight, and the question of how she carries the additional size will be central to how the fight unfolds. At the media workout, she looked comfortable and composed at her new weight, working through crisp combinations and sharp pad rounds. She insists the move is more than cosmetic.
“I had to move up in weight from super middleweight. It’s more than just eating and fighting — I’m mastering my performance in the gym. I really went to war with myself in this camp, and the only person standing in the way of winning is myself.” — Franchon Crews-Dezurn
She also understands the reality of fighting in Shields’ backyard: “I feel the hurdles of this promotion coming in as the B-side fighter. I know I can’t leave this fight in the judges’ hands fighting in her hometown.”
Shields vs Crews-Dezurn 2: The Breakdown
Shields’ speed advantage is the x-factor in this fight. She has always been the faster, more active fighter, and against an opponent moving up in weight, that edge should be even more pronounced. Shields’ jab, her ability to fight in combination, and her ring IQ at this stage of her career make her a nightmare for anyone in women’s boxing.
Crews-Dezurn’s path to victory is narrow but real. She’s a smart, tactical fighter who can box on the back foot and look for openings. If she can use her reach, fight in bursts, and land the cleaner shots, she could make things interesting. But she’s likely going to need a knockdown — or something close to it — to sway the judges in Shields’ hometown.
The atmosphere will be electric. A crowd of more than 15,000 is expected at Little Caesars Arena, where Shields sold out her last appearance and has fought four consecutive times. The energy in Detroit for a Shields fight is something you have to experience to understand — and Crews-Dezurn knows she’s walking into a hornet’s nest.
Prediction: Shields by unanimous decision, and it probably won’t be as close as the scorecards suggest. If Shields is truly 100% healthy, we could see her press for a stoppage in the later rounds.
Shields vs Crews-Dezurn 2 Full Undercard
The card beneath Shields-Crews-Dezurn is stacked, featuring multiple championship bouts and five additional women’s fights — a testament to Dmitriy Salita and Salita Promotions’ commitment to building women’s boxing on these major Detroit stages.
Co-Feature: Atif Oberlton (14-0, 12 KOs) vs. Joseph George (13-1, 8 KOs) — Light Heavyweight, 10 Rounds
This is the bout that hardcore fans should circle. Oberlton, the 27-year-old southpaw from Philadelphia, is one of the most exciting light heavyweight prospects in the sport. He carries serious power — 12 stoppages in 14 fights — and is coming off three consecutive knockouts in 2025 against Vaughn Alexander, Chown Sims, and Joaquin Berroa Lugo. He fights for the first time since signing a co-promotional agreement with Salita Promotions, and he’ll have his WBA Continental USA title on the line along with the US WBC belt.
George, 36, out of Houston, returned to the ring last March with a third-round TKO over Robert Burwell after bouncing back from a decision loss to Raiko Santana in late 2022. He’s a solid test for Oberlton and a fighter who won’t go away easily, but Oberlton is the one to watch here.
Che Kenneally (5-0, 2 KOs) vs. Danielle Perkins (5-1, 2 KOs) — WBA Women’s Light Heavyweight World Title
The Australian Kenneally makes the first defense of her WBA light heavyweight title against Brooklyn’s Danielle Perkins, a Houston-based fighter whose only professional loss came against Shields herself. Perkins knows this card well — she fought on the last Shields event at Little Caesars Arena — and she’s looking to make a statement.
“Being on this card is special. Franchon and Claressa know each other inside and out, and that fight is going to be intense. I plan to match that energy and make my own statement.” — Danielle Perkins
Samantha Worthington (12-0, 7 KOs) vs. Edith Soledad Matthysse (20-16-1, 3 KOs) — Interim WBA Women’s Super Lightweight Title
Worthington, undefeated out of Lexington, Kentucky, defends her interim WBA super lightweight strap against the well-traveled Argentine Matthysse, a former unified featherweight champion. Worthington’s seven stoppages in 12 fights make her one of the more active finishers on this card.
Pryce Taylor (10-0, 6 KOs) vs. James Evans (9-2-1, 7 KOs) — Heavyweight
Boxing Insider readers will be familiar with Pryce Taylor, who has appeared on two episodes of The Boxing Insider Show. The unbeaten heavyweight prospect out of Detroit continues to build his record and has shown real pop with six stoppages in 10 fights. Evans brings experience and power of his own with seven KOs, so this should be an entertaining clash between two guys who aren’t afraid to let their hands go.
Also on the Card
- Savannah Tini (2-4, 1 KO) vs. Vaida Masiokaite (11-29-6, 1 KO) — Featherweight
- Garrett Rice Jr. (2-0, 1 KO) vs. TBA — Super Featherweight
- Jaquan McElroy (4-0, 2 KOs) vs. TBA — Middleweight
How to Watch Claressa Shields vs Franchon Crews-Dezurn 2
The first bout is scheduled for 4:30 PM ET, with doors opening at 4:00 PM. The DAZN telecast begins at 8:00 PM ET, with Shields’ ring walk expected around 10:30 PM ET. Tickets are available at 313Presents.com and Ticketmaster.com.
Fight week events include the official press conference at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday, February 19 at noon, the media workout at Downtown Boxing Gym on Friday, February 20 at noon, and the official weigh-in at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday, February 21 at noon.
