Claressa Shields prepares for Crews-Dezurn after signing record deal
Undisputed heavyweight champion Claressa Shields is set to reignite her rivalry with Franchon Crews-Dezurn on Saturday fresh from securing a historic contract worth more than £6m.
The pair share a competitive history dating back to the US Olympic trials ahead of the 2012 London Games.
A then 16-year-old Shields defeated the national champion on her path to winning the first of two Olympic gold medals.
They have met three times since that initial bout, including their professional debuts in 2016, with the younger American emerging victorious on every occasion.
Now, the undefeated star defends her undisputed heavyweight status against a familiar foe.
"Me and Franchon have always said that for some reason we are always intertwined in each other’s lives," Shields told BBC Sport.
"If you take it back to when I was 16, she was ranked number one in the country and I was ranked number seven."
"Now we meet again on the first fight of my major deal."
A financial landmark for women’s boxing
The headline contest follows a major commercial breakthrough for the self-proclaimed ‘Greatest Woman of All Time’.
Shields signed a multi-fight agreement with Wynn Records and Salita Promotions in November valued at $8m (£6.1m).
The package also includes a substantial signing-on bonus of $3m (£2.2m), a figure largely unprecedented in the women’s sport.
The five-weight world champion believes these financial terms rival the top contracts seen in men’s boxing.
"I have never heard of a man getting that kind of signing bonus. I’ve heard of men getting a $1m (£739,000) signing bonus but never $3m," Shields said.
"My contract now is big overall and I’m getting back paid."
"When I came out of the Olympics with two gold medals, I should have got a $1m signing bonus for whoever I went with but that didn’t happen."
Motivation for the ‘GWOAT’
Shields holds a flawless professional record of 17 wins and zero losses, having captured world titles in five different weight classes.
She became a unified super-middleweight champion in just her fourth professional bout.
Her only career defeat came in the amateur ranks against Briton Savannah Marshall in 2012, a loss she emphatically avenged ten years later.
Despite achieving three-weight undisputed status, the 30-year-old insists her motivation remains high.
"It’s seeing how great I can be as a fighter," she added.
"I want to get my skillset and body to the position where I can go the extra mile and get the knockout after I’ve dominated these girls for five or six rounds."
"That’s what pushes me."