Reflections on Claressa and Franchon’s Journey to Propel Women’s Boxing
By David A. Avila
What a journey.
Claressa Shields and Franchon Crews-Dezurn first met professionally in a Las Vegas boxing ring in 2016 and a decade later returned to face each other again, but this time in Detroit where the Motor City saw them combust on one another.
“I’m going to keep representing for women’s boxing,” said Shields after the fight. “I haven’t been in one (a fight) where a girl can rumble like that.”
It was a glorious display of high-level prizefighting.
Shields and Crews-Dezurn are part of the movement that propelled women’s boxing to new levels in skill, exposure and better pay. Women’s boxing advancement can all be pointed to one particular day 10 years ago.
Female boxing should make Aug. 21, 2016 a special holiday. On that particular summer day two events occurred and set the sport of women’s boxing on a new course that led to today’s level. Women are now on the verge of total acceptance and high expectations.
On that day on Aug. 21, Shields became the first person to win a gold medal in boxing in back-to-back Olympics. She defeated Netherland’s Nouchka Fontijin by unanimous decision in Rio de Janeiro to win gold once again. It was televised worldwide. Later that day a pro boxing card took place in Coney Island, New York. Heather Hardy and Shelly Vincent clashed for a regional featherweight title. It was televised.
It was the first time two female fights in different parts of the world were televised in America. Most people at the time had no idea women participated in boxing. But that day the Olympic tournament and a pro boxing card were both televised. Both put on a show and women’s boxing was pulled out of the weeds.
Magical Day
What I remember most is sitting at my home with my laptop open and jotting down notes on the significance of both events. First was the Olympics. At the time I was writing for TheSweetscience.com, the Riverside Press-Enterprise, and covering women’s boxing for Ring Magazine. Trying to keep tabs on when women would be televised was a mess. The network didn’t care much about women’s boxing, but Shields was about to make history and they knew the significance of the achievement.
Of course, Shields won gold that day and it was like watching a kid crack open a pinata. You know it’s going to happen and it was almost too easy for the Flint, Michigan boxer. The big question was if Shields would turn pro. She did. So did Katie Taylor who had won Olympic gold in 2012 but not in 2016. That meant two highly talented female boxers were going to enter pro women’s boxing.
On the same day Shields won gold in Brazil, a pro boxing event was taking place in Coney Island featuring Brooklyn’s Hardy and Rhode Island’s popular Vincent. She brought dozens of her followers with her to Ford Amphitheater that day. They were the only female bout and stole the show with their incredible grit and determination. At the time it was rare to see any female fight televised. But on that day the world got to see female boxing on a major platform and it was glorious. Hardy and Vincent gave their blood and sweat to perform at their best. They did their job and kept women’s boxing alive for this next generation.
Las Vegas or Bust
Less than three months after winning Olympic gold there was Shields primed to make her pro debut in Las Vegas on Nov. 19. Thanks to another former gold medalist Andre Ward, the female Olympian Shields was slated to fight on Wards title defense against Sergii Kovalev.
The problem was who would Shields fight?
She was too good to fight just anyone. The call was made to Franchon Crews who took the fight on two week’s notice. I had followed Crews amateur career because she was a teammate of a Los Angeles girl named Elizabeth Quevedo who was another incredible female boxer. They were friends. Actually, Quevedo is a boxer who could easily have matched blows with Shields had she continued to box professionally. But the time was not right for women’s boxing when Quevedo was a new pro.
Anyway, Crews (who was not married at the time) accepted the fight and when that first bell rang at T-Mobile Arena these girls threw bombs. The people who saw that fight live never forgot it. It was an explosive debut that should have told the world that women’s boxing was going to be different now.
Sunday Punch
Well, ten years later, Crews-Dezurn and Shields met again this past weekend in Detroit. A lot has happened since they first fought in 2016, Crews-Dezurn became a two-time super middleweight world champion and Shields has won world titles as a super welterweight, middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. She has conquered every weight division and rarely lost a round.
“We all need a dance partner. You all done seen me in fights, we can all agree today that you all have seen me get hit the hardest by Franchon Crews in my pro debut and today,” said Shields.
I have covered women’s boxing since the early 1990s and have seen them all come and go. During the late 1990s women’s boxing was illegal in Mexico and the United Kingdom. Can you imagine that? Two countries that produce some of the best talent banned women from boxing.
Fighters like Mariana “Barby” Juarez were forced to move to Los Angeles to compete. In England it was Jane Couch who kept things going for women interested in fighting in that nation. The sacrifice these women made in keeping the sport alive is not told enough. Even today women in Japan are not making nearly enough money to concentrate on their profession. You have a champion like Mizuki Hiruta who risks everything to travel to the USA and fight on foreign soil. She was recently voted Female Fighter of the Year by this publication and by Ring Magazine.
Women’s boxing is finally in a position to make big strides especially after performances like this past Sunday when Shields and Crews-Dezurn torched the boxing ring with their fighting prowess.
“This is a fight that women’s boxing needed, especially about the heavyweight division,” said Shields.
“I want to try and keep the sport going as long as I’m here to try and be an attribute,” said Crews-Dezurn.”I want to play my part and push women’s boxing forward.”
The journey continues.
More Fight News
Argentina
Maira Moneo (17-3) knocked out Micaela Dominguez (6-4) in the second round on Saturday Feb. 21. The super feather regional title fight was held in Buenos Aires.
On Saturday Feb. 28, super bantams Milagros Ramirez (1-0) and Paola Jofre (0-0) meet four rounds in Buenos Aires. Also, light flies Milena Cuello (0-0) and Celeste Gonzalez (0-1) meet four.
Australia
On Thursday Feb. 26, welters Arlene Blencowe (4-6) and Nadia Flalhi (8-5) meet eight rounds for the Australian title at Pyrmont.
Colombia
On Friday Feb. 27, feathers Maria Martinez Henao (0-0) and Laura Andrade (0-0) meet four rounds at Ibague.
On Saturday Feb. 28, light flies Juanita Herrera (1-0) and Fariana Martinez (0-1-1) meet four rounds at Pereira.
On Saturday Feb. 28, middleweights Clarida Sarabia (0-0) and Aura Palomeque (0-0-1) meet four rounds at Puerto Colombia.
Democratic Republic of Congo
On Saturday Feb. 28. Lightweights Merveille Mbalayi (3-0) and Dorcas Endzonzo (0-1) meet six rounds at Kinshasha. Also, bantams Gisele Muamba (0-0) and Ruth Nkoue (0-0) meet six; super lights Divine Towula (0-1) and Bela del Silva (0-0) meet four; Modestine Munga (0-2) and Lukongo Safi (0-1) meet four; and welters Isabel Dala (1-1) and Soraya Mawele (0-1) meet four.
Dominican Republic
On Thursday Feb. 26, feathers Brooklyn Barwick (4-0) and Grecia Novas (19-32-4) meet six rounds at Santo Domingo.
France
On Saturday Feb. 28, lightweights Alice Moro (0-0) and Joanna Frascczak (1-4) meet four rounds at Doubs.
On Saturday Feb. 28, super bantams Sabrina Flamand (4-7-1) Isis Pizagou (1-0-1) meet four rounds at Savenay.
Ireland
Christina Desmond (3-0) won by decision after eight rounds versus Johana Rajmont (6-7-1) on Saturday Feb. 21. The welter fight was held in Cork.
Japan
Sari Metcalf (4-3-2) beat Maiko Iwasaki (3-1) by decision after six rounds on Friday Feb. 20. The bantam fight took place in Tokyo. Also, atoms Megumi Watanabe (3-3-6) and Yurie Kishi (3-2-2) drew after six; light fly Chiaki Yasui (3-3) beat Miyako Nakao (1-2) after four; bantam Arisa Kishimoto (1-1) beat Miku Nagasaki (2-5-1) in four; super fly Yui Yamashita (2-0-1) beat Nano Hata (0-1-1) in four; Mamiko Kageyama (3-1) knocked out Ying Wang (1-2-1) in the fourth; atomweight Natsume Kikuchi (3-1-1) beat Mizuki Matsuoka (1-6-3) in four; Saki Abe 1-1) beat Cure Takana (0-2) in four; and flyweights Reina Chiku (1-0-1) and Miku Tamaki (1-0-1) drew after four.
Mexico
Camila Zamorano (14-0) defeated Claudia Ruiz (7-3-1) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Saturday Feb. 21. The WBC atomweight world title fight took place at Hermosillo.
South Africa
On Saturday Feb, 28, flyweights Simangele Hadebe (15-4-2) and Sibulele Soboois (4-0) meet eight rounds at Pretoria. Also, flies Lee Ann Jansen (2-2-1) and Librah Mtarini (3-0-1) meet six; minimumweights Tyla Promnick (4-0) and Yonelisa Poni (2-4) meet six.
South Korea
Min Zy Choi (2-0) knocked out Hye Sun Park (0-2-1) in the fourth round on Saturday Feb. 21. The flyweight fight took place in Incheon. Also, fly Su Bin An (2-0) beat Su Been Kim (1-1) in four.
Spain
Sara Estevez (1-0) won by decision after four versus Victoria Albons (2-4) on Saturday Feb. 21. The super bantam fight took place in Malaga.
Maria Polo (2-0) won by technical decision over Darmarys Perozo (1-1) in the third round on Saturday Feb. 21. The flyweight fight took place in Castellbisbal.
Taiwan
On Sunday March 1, bantams Yi Ru Li (3-0) and Hye Jung Lee (3-2) meet four rounds at Taichung.
Thailand
Pompimon Pongpaew (7-7) defeated Saengdaw Charam (0-8) by decision after six rounds on Sunday Feb. 22. The minimumweight fight was held in Pathum Thani. Also, Saowarak Phaesithong (2-1) beat Muthita Iamsaard (10-5) after six. Bantam Phongmani Audomkham (1-0) knocked out Paktarawadee Dechburam (0-1) in three.
On Saturday Feb. 28, flies Lekaysha Woodbridge (2-0) Katsara Jatpukdee (11-13-1) meet six rounds at Bangkok.
United Kingdom
Sandy Ryan (9-3-1) won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds versus Karla Ramos (12-11-2) on Saturday Feb. 21. The WBC super light title match took place in Nottingham, England. Also, bantam Tiah Mai Ayton (5-0) beat Catherine Tacone (9-4-1) by decision after eight; and super bantam Molly McCann (3-0) beat Beata Dudek (7-9) in six.
Jenna Pilling (2-1) beat Erica Alvarez (8-16) by decision after six rounds on Saturday Feb. 21. The super welter match took place in Liverpool.
On Friday Feb. 27, flyweights Tiana Schroeder (5-0) and Antonella Molina (4-27-2) meet six rounds at Belfast, Northern Ireland.
On Saturday Feb. 28, Abbie McKay (1-0) and Agnieszka Zaluska (1-3) meet four rounds at Liverpool.
On Saturday Feb. 28, welters Kerry Haley (4-2) and Erica Alvarez (8-16) meet six rounds at Newcastle.
USA
Claressa Shields (18-0) defeated Franchon Crews-Dezurn (10-3) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Sunday Feb. 22. The heavyweight championship match took place in Detroit, Mich, Also, light heavy Danielle Perkins (6-1) knocked out Che Kenneally (5-1) in the sixth round and wins WBA light heavy title; super light Savannah Tini (7-0) beat Vaida Masiokaite (11-30-6) in eight; feather Shannel Butler (7-0) beat Danila Ramos (14-5) after eight rounds; light fly Jasmine Hampton (2-0) knocked out Agustina Vazquez (6-7-2) in five; and super light Edith Matthysse (21-16-1) knocked out Samantha Worthington (12-1) in the eighth.
Bria Miller (2-0) won by decision after four rounds over Desiree Davila (0-2) on Sarurday Feb. 21. The welter contest took place in Hanover, Maryland.
Margarita Porras (1-0) won by decision after four over Jennifer Aguilar (1-1) on Saturday Feb. 21. The light fly fight took place in Dallas, Texas.
Jewry Rodriguez (1-0) knocked out Kim Colbert (3-32) in the second round on Saturday Feb. 21. The super bantam fight took place in Houston, Texas.
Gabriela Tellez (7-0) knocked out Crystal Garcia (11-5) in the first round on Friday Feb. 20. The lightweight match was held in Orlando, Florida.
On Friday Feb. 27, welters Stephanie Simon (5-0) and Julia Ingel (5-1) meet six rounds at Long beach, Calif. Also, bantams Maya Hernandez (1-0) and Fayeda An (0-1-1) meet four rounds.
On Saturday Feb. 28, flyweights Katelyn Radtka (1-1) and Keya Reed-Redmond (0-1) meet four rounds at St. Joseph, Missouri.
On Saturday Feb. 28, super flies Shera Mae Patricio (7-0) and Maribel Ramirez (15-13-4) meet six rounds at Verona, New York, Also, bantams Damiana Andrello (1-1-1) and Jessica Radtke (2-3-2) meet four; and super lights Katrina Scalzo (0-0) and Michelle Cook (3-6-2) meet four.