Caroline Dubois Sets Sights On Katie Taylor Ahead Of Interim Bout With Maira Moneo
Caroline Dubois is planning to stay “on a collision course” with two-weight undisputed world champion Katie Taylor when she faces Maira Moneo in a WBC interim lightweight title bout on August 3.
Dubois (9-0-0 4 KO) is one of the most exciting prospects in women’s boxing, and will take the next step in her career against Uruguay’s Moneo (14-1-0 3 KO), who twice won the vacant interim belt in her last two fights.
A victory for 23-year-old Dubois will put her in prime position for a shot at undisputed lightweight champion Taylor (23-1-0 6 KO), who also holds all four titles at super-lightweight.
The Irish superstar next faces Amanda Serrano in a long-awaited and highly anticipated rematch in November, when her super-lightweight titles will be on the line. It means even if Taylor loses – she won the historic first bout at Madison Square Garden by the narrowest of split-decision margins – she will still hold the lightweight belts, which Dubois wants her shot at.
Dubois ‘Ready To Announce Myself On World Stage’
“I’m ready to announce myself on the big stage. I want to be world champion,” Dubois said. “I want to be fighting for world titles against the likes of Rhiannon Dixon, Beatriz Ferreira and Katie Taylor. I want to unify the division. I want to be undisputed and then I want to move up in weight.
“I want to go all the way and to do something that has never been done before. I want to transform the sport of female boxing and to change the way it’s viewed to make sure it gets the respect it deserves.”
While Dubois understandably has massive long-term goals, she insists she won’t be looking beyond the 31-year-old Moneo, who will enter the ring at Oakwell Football Ground in Barnsley, England as the more experienced fighter.
“Moneo is a fight that can propel me to the next level. She’s game, she’s tough and she believes she’s going to win,” Dubois said. “She is going to bring that South American mentality, tenacity and energy. She has a lot of experience. She’s had a lot of fights so I don’t think she’s going to be overawed. She’s going to be aggressive and non-stop punching and I’m ready and I’m excited for that.
“Every time I step in the ring, I want to do damage. I want to excite people. I want people to say: ‘Wow, that Caroline Dubois, she’s something special!’ I want my name to be in their minds and on their lips,” she added. “Whether it’s a knockout or a ten-round beatdown, I want to be the standout performance of the night, and on August 3rd, I’m coming to steal the show.
“After this fight, I will be on a collision course with Katie Taylor. I will be the interim champion, her mandatory and unless she vacates, we’re fighting next.”
Moneo Promises To ‘Bring Belts Back To Uruguay’
Moneo, however, has warned Dubois that she is confident of victory, saying: “I am looking forward to coming to the UK to fight Caroline Dubois. She is a very good fighter, and deserves my respect, but she has never faced anyone like ‘La Panterita’. I will show her why I’m the interim 135lbs champion. I promise, I will be bringing the belts back home to Uruguay and Argentina with me.”
The announcement of this bout, which will be on the undercard of Zak Chelli vs Callum Simpson for the British and Commonwealth middleweight titles, came at the same time Dubois committed to a new long-term deal with promoters Boxxer.
The UK-based promoters – who also represent Lauren Price, Natasha Jonas, and Savannah Marshall as their female world champions – view Dubois, the younger sister of IBF heavyweight world champion Daniel, as one of their most important assets.
“This is an opportunity for Caroline to realise her dream and set up a fight with one of the biggest names in the sport in what can be a real passing-of-the-torch moment,” Boxxer CEO Ben Shalom said.
