Caroline Dubois’ message to Katie Taylor: Now it’s my turn to come through. Fight me or let the belt go!
Caroline Dubois is the WBC’s Interim lightweight titlist, but next wants her mandatory shot at their full world championship; That belt is currently held by Irish superstar Katie Taylor and Dubois has called for her to make a final decision on whether she’ll move back down in weight
Caroline Dubois is waiting for her chance to box for the WBC lightweight world championship that Katie Taylor holds.
Taylor’s last three fights have all been for the undisputed super-lightweight championship. But it’s meant the WBC lightweight belt hasn’t been contested for over two years.
Dubois has risen to become the WBC’s Interim titlist at 135lbs and so will eventually be entitled to fight for their full world championship. Firstly though Taylor would have to decide which division she will continue to compete in.
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“I’m mandatory to the belt. Katie needs to either come back down and fight me or let the belt go,” Dubois told Sky Sports.
“She hasn’t fought for the belt for over a year now. It seems apparent that she’s not going to come back down to 135lbs. So she’s just hoarding the belt, stopping me in my tracks and my future and my career, for what purpose?
“She’s done so well in her career, she’s fought Amanda Serrano, I’m sure she’s going to want the trilogy, that’s going to be a big money fight. But that will be at 140lbs.
“So there’s no business even holding onto the belt. Just let it go and I get on with my career and she can get on with hers.”
Her message to Taylor is: “Now it’s my turn. It’s my turn to come through, do the same thing, become undisputed at 135lbs.”
If Taylor does vacate the lightweight title, Dubois would like to box Rhiannon Dixon, the WBC’s No 1 ranked contender, for the full championship and then unify against new WBO titlist Terri Harper next year.
“I would like to fight Rhiannon Dixon,” Dubois said. “I’m sure she’s going to want to have a chance to get back into world title contention.
“I don’t think there’s many situations where you lose your belt and then in your next fight you get another world title shot. Take it or leave it.
“Another chance for her to redeem herself and become world champion and if not, then I will take the next hardest competition.”
Dubois would welcome a high-profile unification with Harper. “Of course,” Dubois said. “That belt is mine. She’s holding on to it for now. She knows her heart isn’t in the game, her mind isn’t in the game.
“She’s tried to pull it together as much as possible but she’s showed her character, which is quit. She crumbles under pressure and I think she wants me to come take that belt off her and I think that’s what’s going to happen.
“I think she wants a payday and a chance to sail off into the sunset.”
Amanda Serrano’s promoter, Nakisa Bidarian, did identify Dubois as a possible future opponent for the American star.
“They’ve seen my potential. I bring something new to the game as well,” Dubois said.
“To finally get the belt at 135lbs would be something that I’m sure she’d be very happy about. I would give her that opportunity, I would give her that shot if she was willing to take it.
“People want to under-estimate me and say I’m not in the big leagues, I’m not yet up there. I get it, I haven’t got a full world title and I haven’t been involved in, let’s say, a big fight.
“But in terms of skill, ability, pedigree, in terms of all of that I’m there. I believe I’m there.”
