DETROIT – Claressa Shields and Franchon Crews-Dezurn came face-to-face at the final press conference before their showdown for the Undisputed Heavyweight World Title on Feb. 22 at Little Caesars Arena.
The press conference on Feb. 19 heard remarks from sports radio host Ronnie Duncan, Head of Salita Promotions Dmitriy Salita, President of 313Presents Howard Handler, CEO of Wynn Records Ruben Branson, CEO of SMT Financial Djhonia Selph, rapper Papoose, Shields and Crews-Dezurn.
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“Detroit has been known by three pillars, the auto industry, music and boxing,” said Salita. “And on that stage at the auto show we had Franchon Crews, Claressa Shields, Ruben Branson, Papoose, who’s a hip-hop superstar, overlooking the most luxurious vehicles in the world. And Detroit boxing has arrived, and there’s no better way to announce it than by staging this undisputed heavyweight world title fight here in Little Caesars Arena on February 22nd."
The event is promoted by Salita Promotions in partnership with Wynn Records and co-promoted by 313 Presents. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased at 313Presents.com and Ticketmaster.com.
This press conference was much more tame in comparison to the presser at the Detroit Auto Show. With the fight days away, both fighters reflected on their long history as friends but remained focused on achieving victory on fight night.
“This is a long time in the making,” said Crews-Dezurn. “I’ve always told Claressa our journeys were going to be intertwined as it is and it’s beautiful cause when we first met, women’s boxing wasn’t even in the Olympics. So we had the opportunity to step forward in that manner and to see both of our faces on beautiful artwork around the arena, on the internet, it means the world to me.
“February 22nd when I’m victorious, it’s definitely something that I set out to do, mission that I won’t stop until I get it done,” said Crews-Dezurn. “So even if, you know, I know the cards are aligned for me, but I’m on that ass forever and ever and ever. We going to do exhibition matches and all.”
“When I first started boxing, the first girl I ever looked up in my phone, I was 13 years old, I looked up and I said, ‘who is ranked number one at 165 pounds to go to the Olympics,’” asked Shields. ”And the woman’s name that popped up was Franchon Crews. So I’ve been knowing her way before she knew about me."
"She was that girl, but when you wanna be the girl, you have to take out the girl," said Shields. “So she’s always been somebody who I was like, I’m going to have to fight her. When I ran, I thought about her, when I sparred, I thought about her, when I punched the bag, I thought about her and it’s been that way for a very long time and I knew that this fight would happen."
Shields says Crews-Dezurn’s power is a reason why she trained intensely for the fight and wants to deliver a standout performance.
“When she hit you, you feel it," said Shields. “So when I was in camp, I made sure I checked off every box to make sure not only that I could win this fight, but I wanna drop her. I wanna knock her out. I wanna hurt her. I wanna make a stand because she’s just that good. So I didn’t take her lightly."
Shields continued to reflect on her close relationship with Crews-Dezurn but acknowledged that all of that goes away come fight night.
“She will always be an idol to me, somebody who I look up to, who has been there for me in times when nobody else was. But this fight this weekend, we put all that to the side, and we got to rumble. If you can’t get along, you got to get it on. We got to fight, we got to fight."
Shields announced that tickets for the fight are nearly sold out with over 15,000 sold.
Both fighters say that their purposes are bigger than boxing and they want to inspire those that look up to them.
“Now that I’m 30 and I’ve taken the time to get a closer relationship with God,” said Shields. “I realize that my purpose is bigger than boxing, that my purpose is to give hope to the kids who feel hopeless, to give those who don’t have faith, to get them faith and to give them a representation."
“I just feel like I have a duty to not only be great but be a good person, spread the gospel, and give people something to believe in, and just show that if you give your best it’s good enough,” said Shields. “I feel like people in life are so hard on themselves. You give your best, and you come up short and people just want to give up all the time. It’s like, give your best. Don’t worry about what outsiders who have not worked for nothing have to say, and focus on delivering your best, and that’s all I’ve ever done is give my best and I have been okay with that."
“I didn’t wake up and say I wanted to box,” said Crews-Dezurn. “Boxing chose me and I just ended up here. But when it happens, I just take it with a grain of salt and know that my time here in this sport, even after this fight, to the next one. Meant something. I hope it’s like a marker for people coming behind me, heavyweight, whatever weight class, to show I’m just representation of inspiration, consistency, hard work, and determination. And that goes down in history."
The fight card will feature six women’s fights, local talent and rising contenders.
The co-feature will spotlight newly signed, undefeated light heavyweight Atif “Lord Pretty Calvo” Oberlton (14-0, 12 KOs), who defends his WBA Continental USA Light Heavyweight Title while also competing for the US WBC Light Heavyweight Title in a scheduled 10-round bout. Oberlton faces battle-tested contender Joseph George (13-1, 8 KOs) in his televised promotional debut.
WBA Women’s Light Heavyweight World Champion Che Kenneally (5-0, 2 KOs) will make her first title defense, and U.S. debut, against Houston’s Danielle Perkins (5-1, 2 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round championship bout.
Opening the DAZN telecast, Samantha “The Heat” Worthington (12-0, 7 KO’s) will defend her WBA Women’s Interim Super Lightweight World Title against veteran challenger Edith Soledad Matthysse (20-16-1, 3 KO’s).
Unbeaten heavyweight Pryce Taylor of Brooklyn, New York (10-0, 6 KO’s) returns for his third DAZN appearance following a unanimous decision victory over veteran Michael Polite-Coffie.
Fighting out of former world champion Tony Harrison’s Super Bad Gym under coach LJ Harrison, newly signed Detroit prospects, Lance Smith (5-0, 4 KOs) and Jasmine Hampton (1-0, 1KO) will fight on home turf. Smith is a two-time Detroit Golden Gloves champion and Hampton is a 14-time national amateur champion.
Flint native Jaquan McElroy (4-0, 2 KOs) remains active after a second-round TKO win in December and a unanimous decision victory on the Shields–Daniels undercard; his opponent will be announced.
Flint native and highly decorated amateur standout Garrett Rice Jr. (2-0, 1 KO) continues his professional ascent.
Undefeated featherweight Savannah Tini of Shelby Twp. (6-0, 2 KO’s) returns following a unanimous decision victory in September and meets Vaida Masiokaite (20-16-1).