Caroline Dubois floored and bloodied Terri Harper before outpointing her British rival to become the unified lightweight world champion at London’s Olympia.
After a dull first half of the contest, Dubois dropped Harper with a classy jab and left hook in the sixth round.
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Doncaster’s Harper, who suffered a nasty cut after a clash of heads in the eighth, showed great spirit to continue throwing until the final round.
The judges scored the fight 98-91, 97-92 and 98-91 to Dubois, who adds Harper’s WBO belt to her WBC title.
“Terri had a good showing and showed why she is a very good boxer,” Dubois told Sky Sports.
“From my side it was never personal; it was personal for Terri. I am a fighter and an entertainer. I put myself out there to show up for you guys, and talk the talk to be entertaining.
“That is why this fight was the most talked about.
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“I felt like I started really well. Terri was very negative and we knew she was going to be. It was tricky to get her.”
The event marked the first United Kingdom show staged by Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) as Londoner Dubois extended her unbeaten record to 13 wins and one draw.
Harper – a three-weight world champion – drops to 16 wins, three defeats and two draws.
A fight of two halves but a deserved winner
Terri Harper suffered a cut next to her eye after a clash of heads [Getty Images]
World championship boxing returned to the historic Kensington venue for the first time in decades. The Olympia had previously staged headline fights involving stars such as Chris Eubank Jr and Prince Naseem Hamed.
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Harper strode towards the centre of the 19th-Century grand hall, buoyed by her travelling Yorkshire faithful.
Dubois, who once pretended to be a boy named Colin so she could be allowed to box, also received a warm reception as she entered to “I’m Every Woman” by Whitney Houston.
The fight had been a long time coming, and the rivalry had grown increasingly tense in the build-up. Dubois repeatedly questioned Harper’s achievements and credentials, while Harper shoved Dubois during a fiery media face-off earlier in the week.
By the halfway stage, however, the contest had not quite lived up to the hype, with Dubois edging the rounds through steady work to the body.
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Then, suddenly, the fight came alive. Dubois set up a knockdown with a sharp double jab followed by a left hook, sending Harper to the canvas.
Harper rose to her feet as Dubois leapt in celebration, prompting the referee to warn her for failing to return to her corner.
Dubois increased the pressure. She landed thudding southpaw left hands in the seventh and eighth as blood began to drip from a cut on the inside of ‘Belter’ Harper’s left eye.
Watching from ringside was pound-for-pound star Claressa Shields, shouting encouragement for Dubois.
A strong combination from Dubois in the ninth suggested a stoppage might be imminent, but Harper rallied to land shots to Dubois’ head in the 10th and final round.
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“Terri is very tricky; she navigated herself very well and it was up to me to push the pace,” Dubois told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“She is a champion and she doesn’t like to lose, but neither do I.
“The better woman won tonight and I hope she can give me my respect.”
Does Dubois need a marquee name next?
Undisputed heavyweight champion Claressa Shields joined Dubois in the ring after her victory [Getty Images]
A former featherweight and light-middleweight champion, Harper considered retirement after losing to Sandy Ryan in March 2024.
Another defeat at the highest level leaves her facing a difficult decision about what comes next.
For Dubois, there is little doubt about her standing among Britain’s leading fighters.
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But despite her talent and growing collection of titles, Dubois still lacks the marquee victory that could elevate her profile.
“The plan is [to go for undisputed champion]. I only want big fights from here,” she said.
American Stephanie Han holds the WBA title and Turkish puncher Elif Nur Turhan is the IBF champion.
Either bout would move Dubois closer to becoming undisputed champion – though it may still not guarantee the level of stardom she has been chasing.
English boxer Chantelle Cameron’s career illustrates the challenge.
She was the undisputed light-welterweight champion but only entered the wider public consciousness when she fought Irish superstar Katie Taylor.
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Without a comparable rival since, Cameron’s profile has cooled.
Dubois could also boost her status with a fight against American Alycia Baumgardner, a big name in the United States.
Both fighters are signed to MVP and there is no love lost between them.
Still, Dubois is only in her mid-20s and has time on her side.
This victory represents the biggest win of her career so far, and for now the focus may simply be on consolidating that success while the biggest fights in the division begin to fall into place.
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