Alycia Baumgardner insists Caroline Dubois still needs to prove herself before the American will agree to fight the unified lightweight world champion.
Baumgardner puts her unified WBA, WBO and IBF super-featherweight world titles on the line against Bo Mi Re Shin, live on Sky Sports from 3am on Saturday.
Dubois triumphed over Terri Harper in their high-profile grudge match for the WBC and WBO lightweight world championship earlier this month. Afterwards Dubois took aim at Baumgardner and called her out for a high-profile clash.
Baumgardner didn’t rule out a future fight with Dubois but told Sky Sports News: “Every fight is a potential fight. I think Caroline on her end needs to continue to build who she is as a champion.
“She’s mentioned plenty of times becoming undisputed at 135lbs while I’m still at 130lbs defending my world titles. When we talk about building a fight, when we talk about what it is to entertain, those fights need to be worked on.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Caroline Dubois calls out Alycia Baumgardner for what she describes as the ‘biggest fight in women’s boxing’.
Baumgardner continued: “She needs to put some more skin in the game as I mentioned. I have done my part, I’ve shown plenty of times that I put on great shows and I became undisputed.
“I put the work in and now she needs to do the same and then call me out. I think I just heard she wants to move to 147lbs so I think she’s really ducking me at this point. So we’ll just have to see.”
Dubois will have other options. Nakisa Bidarian, the co-founder of Most Valuable Promoters, told Sky Sports: “I would like to see her clean up the division first before going for the Alycia Baumgardner fight. Because I think that will create a bigger event if she becomes close to undisputed.
“We have Stephanie Han fighting May 30 against Holly Holm in the rematch [for the WBA lightweight title]. That’s an easy match up for Caroline to do.”
Baumgardner could become the undisputed champion at super-featherweight once again. WBC belt-holder at 130lbs, Caroline Veyre would welcome that fight.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights from Caroline Dubois’ clash with Terri Harper for the WBC and WBO lightweight title.
Dmitry Salita, who promotes Veyre, told Sky Sports: “We’re absolutely open to it and would like to move quickly to make the fight happen.
“I have a lot of confidence in Caroline her ability, her mindset, and the team around her. She’s a true champion. Alycia has been very vocal and has mentioned several top names, but realistically, the most meaningful and natural fight in the division is against the current WBC champion, Caroline Veyre.
“If Alycia is successful this weekend, we’re ready to engage and work toward making that fight as soon as possible.
“Without a doubt. Caroline has the skills, determination, and physical strength to come out victorious.”
MVP’s mission
Most Valuable Promotions, the company set up by Bidarian and social media influencer Jake Paul, is establishing the deepest roster of talent in women’s boxing.
That was always their plan.
“The vision from day one was how do we make women’s boxing meaningful to the combat sports ecosystem, driven by the history of Ronda Rousey in UFC and seeing her rise and her power,” Bidarian told Sky Sports.
“Now we’re up to 45+ fighters, 16 world champions and we never looked at the men’s opportunity the same way because there are so many incumbent great promoters that are focused on that and competing with each other and competing for athletes and creating friction in the market.
“The goal has been to become the reference brand for women’s boxing. The best athletes in the world under one umbrella.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Caroline Dubois says she will not look desperate chasing a fight with Katie Taylor as the Irish boxing legend will never accept the challenge.
Explaining his own motivation, Bidarian said: “I was raised by a single mother and seeing her journey and struggle to provide for our family, provide for us and help us become successful, I always had a desire to be supportive to single mothers to start with.
“Then when I was at the UFC and I had the privilege of seeing us introduce women’s MMA and seeing the impact that Ronda Rousey had and being able to be even more popular than her male counterparts.
“When we set up the strategy we were fully aligned that we wanted to be fighter first.”
Jake Paul might seem an unlikely partner in the endeavour but Bidarian pointed out: “Jake was supportive from day one and he continues to view it as even more exciting than men’s because these athletes go in there and go at it. It’s pretty fascinating.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Ellie Scotney may be closing in on becoming an undisputed world champion… but she’s still chasing her driver’s license. Watch Ellie Scotney: Behind the Ropes on the Sky Sports YouTube page this Sunday.
“Everything we do, it’s about the fighter. Second was focusing on the young audience and young fighters, which Jake has a massive advantage [in] and then third was women’s boxing and that gap in the market that was clear.”
On this weekend’s bill at the Madison Square Garden, as well as Baumgardner vs Shin, Shadasia Green meets Lani Daniels in a WBO and IBF super-middleweight title unification.
Victory could lead Green to a showdown with the superstar of women’s boxing and current undisputed heavyweight champion Claressa Shields.
Bidarian said: “We’re definitely interested in seeing how Shadasia Green does on April 17 against Lani Daniels who Claressa Shields also fought and trying to make Claressa Shields versus Shadasia Green.”
Watch Alycia Baumgardner vs Bo Mi Re Shin live on Sky Sports Action and Main Event from 3am on Saturday morning.
Leave a Reply