Caroline Dubois Dominates Amelia Moore to Retain Titles
Caroline Dubois did exactly what a reigning champion is supposed to do.
She walked into the BP Pulse Arena in Birmingham as the heavy favourite, took control from the opening bell and never let Amelia Moore get close to an upset, retaining her WBC and WBO lightweight titles with a dominant unanimous decision that always felt like a formality.
The scorecards told the story: 99-90, 99-90, 98-91. One-way traffic.
Dubois in cruise control
This was billed as a test of Dubois’ patience as much as her power. It became a showcase of both. She dictated the pace, stalked behind her presence and physicality, and turned the ring into her own private rehearsal space for bigger nights to come.
The fifth round provided the highlight. Dubois stepped in, uncorked a booming left hand and sent Moore to the canvas. For a moment, the arena braced for a stoppage. Moore bounced straight up. Hurt, but defiant.
From there, Dubois toyed with her. She walked Moore down, shuffled her around the ring, and controlled the distance like a cat playing with a mouse. The American, in just her fifth professional bout, refused to fold. She carried two US national titles from a solid amateur career into the ring and showed plenty of heart, but nowhere near enough quality to truly trouble a champion who has now boxed 70 more professional rounds than her.
Dubois, four inches shorter, slipped danger with ease, kept her shape and never looked flustered. If there was a criticism, it sat in plain view: she leaned on power and presence rather than urgency or speed, and that allowed the fight to drift to a long, inevitable conclusion instead of a statement finish.
Still, the record moves to 15-0 with 14 stoppages. The belts stay put. The spotlight only grows.
Baumgardner watching – and talking
Ringside, Alycia Baumgardner watched every second on what she called a “scouting mission”. Then the final bell rang, and the real theatre started.
The two have been sniping at each other for a year, their rivalry built on interviews, social media and now separate media conferences in Birmingham this week to promote their own upcoming fights. On Saturday night, it spilled into the open.
Baumgardner accused Dubois of “tightening up” and looking “tired”. Dubois, leaning into her new MVP-curated persona, fired back with a brash, expletive-laced response, making it clear she believes this is her division and her era. “My division – I am the best here,” she snapped, the words carrying the swagger her promoters have been eager to amplify.
The potential collision is already mapped out. Baumgardner, the unified super-featherweight champion, plans to step up to lightweight. If the 32-year-old comes through IBF champion Elif Nur Turhan in Texas on 8 November, the path is clear for a headline clash with Dubois on an MVP women’s boxing showcase in 2027.
Dubois has been preparing for that level of scrutiny not just in public, but behind the scenes. She made the bold move to leave Shane McGuigan in London, the trainer who helped guide her to two world titles, and relocate to Los Angeles to work with renowned US coach Manny Robles. It is a gamble with a clear message: she is not content with simply holding belts. She wants to own the division.
If Baumgardner does her part in November, the build-up to Dubois-Baumgardner will not need any help selling itself.
Harper’s bright restart
Earlier on the undercard, Terri Harper reminded everyone she is not done yet.
The former world champion, who lost on points to Dubois in April and had previously considered retirement after defeat to Sandy Ryan in 2024, stepped up to welterweight for what felt like a crossroads fight against Miranda Reyes. Lose, and the slide would have been hard to arrest. Win well, and the road back opens up.
She chose the latter in emphatic style.
Harper bounced into the ring with bright yellow gloves and carried that energy straight into the first round. She held centre ring, dug in sharp body shots and immediately set a tempo Reyes struggled to live with.
Then she turned the screw.
At the start of the second, Harper upped the intensity and closed the show in brutal, efficient fashion. A flurry to the body softened Reyes up, a short left hook finished the job. The Houston fighter went down twice in quick succession, and the referee waved it off just 47 seconds into the round, sending Harper’s similarly yellow-clad corner into celebration.
“One of the best performances of my career, I’m very happy with that,” Harper said afterwards. “You can’t get rid of me this easily! I am excited for what’s next. It’s way too early [to say goodbye] – I’ve got a lot to give yet.”
The numbers back up the message: a seventh knockout in 17 wins from 22 bouts, and a timely reminder that she still belongs in conversations about the top operators in and around her weight.
On a night built around Dubois’ dominance and Baumgardner’s looming presence, Harper’s resurgence added another layer to a women’s scene that feels increasingly crowded at the top. The champions are winning, the contenders are refusing to fade, and the question hanging over the lightweight division is no longer whether Dubois is the best right now – it’s who, if anyone, can stop her when Baumgardner finally steps through the ropes to find out.
