Shane McGuigan has all the time felt there was one thing particular about Caroline Dubois.
The London light-weight, not too long ago upgraded to WBC champion after long-time goal Katie Taylor relinquished the title, has been tipped for giant issues for years, however McGuigan needs not solely world titles for the 23-year-old, however superstardom.
He believes Dubois, sister of IBF heavyweight champion Daniel, can attain stratospheric ranges of fame, given her modest disposition, charming smile, fast humorousness and her capacity.
Now 10-0 (5 KOs), Dubois meets Canada’s Jessica Camara on January 11 at Sheffield’s Park Group Area on a invoice promoted by Boxxer.
Dubois has all the time not solely accepted McGuigan’s reward, however embraced it as a problem. She doesn’t act as if she feels stress. As an alternative, she needs to indicate the world that her coach has been proper all alongside. She thinks she will be able to again up McGuigan’s assertions.
“I imagine so, however I can solely do what I can do. I can solely accomplish that a lot,” Dubois mentioned.
“It is for you guys within the crowd and the general public to get behind me and assist me. And clearly, be impressed by what I do within the ring. So, I can solely do what I can do. I imagine that I’ll.”
Dubois appears naturally shy, so is changing into a famous person one thing that appeals?
“100 per cent,” she replies confidently. “I believe that appeals to anybody. However like I mentioned, I can solely do what I can do. My job is to coach laborious, battle laborious.”
McGuigan believes that Dubois – who fights on Sky Sports activities – can management the ball that Claressa Shields and Katie Taylor have run with, and take it additional nonetheless. He thinks she is the subsequent feminine fighter to crossover in a significant means and it’s a mantle and accountability Dubois feels prepared for.
“I really feel like everybody who’s turn out to be a face [of their sport], even with the boxing world, they’ve two personalities, two sides to 1 coin. And that is me, you understand, exterior of the ring and with my household, I am introverted,” she explains.
“I like buying; I like doing my hair; I like doing my nails; I like going out and doing issues like that. However in relation to getting into the ring and preventing, a distinct facet of me comes out, you understand. The extra aggressive facet, the extra eager to dominate, take over, that facet comes out.”
In fact, her preliminary aim is to beat the 14-4 (3 KOs) Camara in entrance of her.
From a fitness center that has not too long ago seen Chris Billam-Smith rule as WBO cruiserweight champion, Ellie Scotney earn world honors, the quick rise of Adam Azim, and lightweight heavyweight Craig Richards field on massive reveals, the constructive and assured vibes have solely unfold since Dubois was awarded her title.
She travelled to Hamburg, the place she was offered with the belt on the WBC’s conference final month, and though she didn’t win the crown within the ring, she has sufficient respect for her final opponent, Maira Moneo, to class it as a championship battle.
“It feels good. It feels good,” she mentioned, having obtained the belt.
“It’s bizarre as a result of once I was going on the market [to Hamburg] I wasn’t actually feeling it. However then, as quickly as I hit there and I’m rubbing shoulders with the likes of Shawn Porter, and I used to be like, wow. Blown away. I all the time mentioned that I don’t suppose I’d ever be starstruck with a star or a singer or something. However I see a fighter that I grew up watching and I respect and I’m freaking out from the opposite facet of the room.”
There have been massive names aplenty in Hamburg, from Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko to Vinny Paz, Porter, the Fundoras and numerous others.
Dubois didn’t really feel disadvantaged of her massive evening, by not claiming the title within the ring.
“I really feel like for me, as a result of I fought a very good title final time… Clearly, the boxing world and public from England might not know her. And that is the issue with me, coming by with numerous the ladies that I’m going to battle, they don’t seem to be going to know except it’s an enormous title like Alycia Baumgardner or Terri Harper or Beatrice Ferreira. They’re simply not going to know them. So, they’re not going to get the respect.
However I know them and I do know what their report is and I do know who they fought and who they’ve crushed and et cetera, et cetera. So, for me, once I step within the ring in opposition to who I did final, Maira Moneo, beat her, Magali Rodriguez, Yanina del Carmen Lescano, all these women, for me, I’ve already cemented it. Sadly, now I’m simply going to need to go on that street of preventing individuals and hopefully get the respect.”
Dubois has deserted any faint hope of preventing Taylor, however doesn’t really feel like she’s missed out by following the Irish nice, quite than attempting to say the baton from her within the ring.
“Slim to none,” she smiles, requested of the prospect of attempting to battle Taylor transferring ahead, earlier than including: “For me, I genuinely don’t care. My profession, fortunately, doesn’t must revolve round Katie. There’s some large feminine fighters coming by, Alycia Baumgardner, Terri Harper, Beatrice Ferreira. Shifting up in weight, there’s Chantelle Cameron, there’s Sandy Ryan, Mikaela Mayer. Transfer up in weight a bit extra and there’s some extra names. So, I don’t actually care about whether or not or not I battle Katie Taylor. She’s been an excellent champion and I by no means ever noticed myself stepping within the ring along with her. So it truly is irrelevant to me. For me, I need to create my very own legacy preventing nice names and beating them.”
That begins in 2025, and it’s a yr Dubois hopes is stuffed with amount, by way of fights, and high quality, by way of opponents.
“I’d chase each,” she provides. “For me, I’ve had a superb few constructing years.
“Now, I need to unify. I need to turn out to be undisputed. I need to be a legacy maker. I need to chase my objectives. That’s to be multi-weight world champion, undisputed world champion. For me, this yr, it’s going to be all about attempting to unify with some actually good names. And I’m going to go on the market and attempt to beat them.”
