Fans didn’t have to wait for fight night for things to turn physical.
Claressa Shields (17-0, 3 KOs) and Franchon Crews-Dezurn (10-2, 2 KOs) are scheduled to face off tonight.
The pair have been embroiled in a verbal back-and-forth ever since they first fought in 2016 on the undercard of Sergey Kovalev vs Andre Ward.
Now, the long-term rivals are running it back, with Shields putting her undisputed heavyweight titles on the line at Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena.
However, tensions flared on Saturday night when the weigh-in erupted into a brawl between the fighters’ camps.
During the face-off, they squared off forehead-to-forehead before Shields shoved Crews-Dezurn away.
Crews-Dezurn was left injured, casting doubt over whether the championship clash would be cleared to go ahead.
Had the 38-year-old been unable to compete, a replacement was reportedly on standby to take on Shields.
Shield’s promoter Dmitry Salita has since told Sky Sports: “We’re looking forward to an incredible night in front of a sold-out crowd in Detroit.
“When you have two champions who are fully prepared, confident, and determined to win, emotions can naturally run high.
“That’s what we saw, and it simply reflects the intensity surrounding one of the biggest rematches in women’s boxing.”
After meeting in their professional debuts, they are running it back following ten years of competing.
As the reigning undisputed WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion, Shields is confident she will emerge victorious yet again.
Meanwhile, her bitter rival is out to dethrone her tonight in the main event stateside.
With the undisputed championship on the line and tempers already high, tonight is set to deliver thrilling action in women’s boxing.
As it stands, the ring-walks for the main event between Claressa Shields and Franchon Crews-Dezurn are expected at 4am GMT.
Want to get the latest boxing news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.
