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Claressa Shields facing Franchon Crews-Dezurn in Detroit in first bout of her $8M, multi-fight deal

DETROIT (AP) — Claressa Shields will face Franchon Crews-Dezurn on Feb. 22 at Little Caesars Arena in the first bout of the $8 million, multi-fight deal she landed last month.

The fight was announced Tuesday.

Shields (17-0) is giving Crews-Dezurn (10-2) a rematch after beating her in the professional debut for both boxers in 2016.

“I plan on putting Franchon Crews on her back and leaving with the KO,” Shields said Tuesday. “My last few fights, I was dealing with injuries, but now I’m 100 percent. Franchon is elite, but I am super elite, and I plan on proving that come fight night.”

The undisputed women’s heavyweight and five-division champion beat Lani Daniels in Detroit at the home of the Red Wings and Pistons last summer in front of 15,000-plus fans to defend her heavyweight belts.

Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, is a partner in her multi-fight deal with Wynn Records and Salita Promotions.

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AP Boxing: https://apnews.com/hub/boxing

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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