The timing of the comments is bound to surprise a few. With just two weeks remaining before Claressa Shields makes her middleweight comeback to stake a claim at Kaye Scott’s unified titles, a tweet from Franchón Crews-Dezurn has drawn significant attention.

A former super middleweight undisputed champion who now holds the division’s WBC and WBA belts, Crews-Dezurn suffered a loss to Claressa Shields in her heavyweight debut this past February. However, she claims the multi-division champion, who handed her a loss in her professional debut a decade ago as well, resorted to unsportsmanlike conduct before they stepped into the ring that left her injured.

“@Claressashields ur a 🤡 u set me up & injured me bcuz u were worried about that lil Zeus deal,” Crews-Dezurn tweeted. “U didn’t make me; I made u remember that. Karma, don’t miss & it’s weak u block me then pop sh*t in ur interviews. Real grown women say it w/ the chest. U’ll nvr c me on even ground.”

Her frustration likely stems from the incidents that unfolded ahead of the fight in Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena on February 22. Briefly putting the fate of the rematch in doubt, tensions quickly escalated during the weigh-ins. After recording their weights, the two champions appeared for a face-off.

In an apparent attempt to hype their headlining bout, Crew-Dezurn pressed her forehead against Shields, who, in turn, pushed her away. As the jostling continued, security intervened, with one person holding back Crew-Dezurn. The move didn’t sit well with the former American Idol contestant’s husband, Glenn Dezurn, who exchanged heated words with a security guard.

It didn’t take long before team members from both sides joined the melee. After a few minutes, just as things appeared to cool down, a brawl erupted, with the stage’s back cover being torn down.

A video shared by Fighthype showed Crews-Dezurn falling onto a table and then to the ground. At the next pre-fight event, the rules meeting, rumors circulated that Crews-Dezurn had been hurt. Her manager, Peter Kahn, later confirmed the report while speaking with BoxingScene, saying the super middleweight champion had twisted her ankle.

Following a period of uncertainty regarding whether the fight would go ahead, it ultimately did, with Shields defeating Crews-Dezurn by a unanimous decision.

Given that history, for Crews-Dezurn to still harbor resentment over the experience may not come as a surprise.

Claressa Shields vs. Franchón Crews-Dezurn: the bad blood continues

Her reference to the promotional partnership with Zeus Network suggests Crews-Dezurn believed Shields’ aggression ahead of their bout was an attempt to get inside her head and gain an edge.

Shields has reportedly partnered with Zeus Network. They will help sponsor and produce context around her August 15 title bout against Kaye Scott. The deal includes producing celebrity undercard bouts, presumably to attract a broader audience.

Taken together, what happened after the fight is even more interesting. Despite everything that unfolded, Shields and Crews-Dezurn parted on a respectful note. Saying that she respects her a lot, Shields even offered an apology, saying, “If I hurt you, I’m sorry.”

While Crews-Dezurn could be the first opponent to publicly accuse Shields of unsportsmanlike conduct, the two-time Olympic gold medalist has also faced scrutiny for her actions outside the ring.

The most notable incident unfolded two months ago in Inglewood, California. During the inaugural MMA event promoted by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano, things turned ugly between Shields and super featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner, who is promoted by MVP.

Videos of the altercation appeared to show the two boxers engaging in a heated exchange before what looked like Shields striking Baumgardner.

The scene drew widespread backlash on social media. Taking the incident seriously, Jake Paul and his team at MVP later decided to ban Shields from all future promotional events.

Much earlier, Shields was also a witness to a serious incident that led to a fight cancellation. Ahead of her bout against Croatia’s Ivana Habazin, which was set to mark her homecoming, a serious altercation resulted in Habazin’s trainer, James Ali Bashir, suffering from jaw injuries after receiving a punch during the exchange.

Unlike the Crews-Dezurn event, Shields was not directly involved and later vehemently condemned any act of violence.

From Shields’ perspective, it’s important to understand why her relationship with Crews-Dezurn, which was initially friendly, eventually turned hostile.

“I think that Franchon didn’t realize how big I am now as far as my celebrity and my stardom,” ahead of their bout, she told DAZN News back in February. “And I think that when we announced the fight, and she saw how my fans came at her and how everyone just already painted her to be the loser of the fight, I think that is what is causing her to do this.

The bigger question is whether Crews-Dezurn’s comments could become a weapon for Shields’s upcoming opponent to get inside her head.

Three years after she retained her middleweight undisputed championship by defeating Maricela Cornejo, Shields returns to begin a fresh chapter that could potentially lead to yet another four-belt accomplishment.

Considering the stakes involved, she will be better served by blocking out the noise and staying focused on the task ahead.