Claressa Shields and Franchon Crews-Dezurn are set to face off in the ring at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on Feb. 22; however, at their final weigh-in, they started warming up their hands in a shoving match.
Donned in a floor-length green mink coat, a Louis Vuitton velvet swimsuit, and a bob wig in the style of Faith Evans, the undefeated heavyweight champion Shields pulled up on her opponent—who was decked out in a black fur and orange wig—going head-to-head for a traditional trash talking session. And then things went left.
According to Shields, Crews-Dezurn headbutted her in an attempt to throw the fight out of fear. The two fighters and their entourages exchanged words and shoves before the scene calmed back down. The GWOAT immediately took to social media to call out her opponent for being unprofessional and let her know that she was coming for another win in the ring.
“I got so much smoke for you tomorrow, I don’t give a f— what you post,” Shields said. “You better put your motherf—-ing dukes up, b****. First you walk up with the hat and the brim get me in the face. Then after you do that, you all in my face pressing your forehead against mine. If you don’t get the hell off me.”
She continued with words for Crews-Dezurn’s husband,
“Let me talk to little short man, Glenn. Boy, let me tell you something. You tried to run behind that motherf—ing billboard talking about you gone do something to me? First of all, Pap will knock your little a** out. You ain’t never won no world championship and you jumping in people’s face like you can whoop somebody a**. You ain’t gone whoop my a**, you ain’t gone whoop Pap a**
She also made sure to save some smoke for her number one nemesis Laila Ali, who publicly ridiculed Shields’ physique and questioned whether she was in fighting shape.
“I BET AT Lil Ali won’t be chatting shit about my body no more! Take your shirt off and let’s see your six pack you snake hating ass witch! This the GWOAT- Shields Era,” she said in a X post.
Crews-Dezurn has fired back with claims that Shields as well as the fight’s sponsors, Wynn and Zeus TV, are attempting to railroad her by bending the rules in an effort to feed social media with content.
“My team and I have been set up and put in hostile environments to go viral & get content,” she said. “My team and I have been ambushed and put in unsafe environments without proper protection or protocol. Despite what is being portrayed in the media, my team nor I has ever been the aggressors in any situation. I was not aware that I would be pushed or any of the events that took place.”
She continued,
“This is going too far. I was force[d] in this predicament. Not the first time violence has erupted at a CS event. My reputation is stellar on how my team and I conduct business.”
Of course, Papoose was right by his lady’s side through all of the drama and will likely be the one to walk her to the ring for the big fight. Hopefully, the squabbles between Shields and Crews-Dezurn end inside the ropes. Either way, the sisters with fists have all eyes on them for their big night in the ring. Wishing them both luck!