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Caroline Dubois defeats Terri Harper to unify the lightweight world titles

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LONDON – Caroline Dubois settled her rivalry with Terri Harper on Sunday with a unanimous decision victory, winning the WBO lightweight title and becoming the unified lightweight champion.

Dubois, who held the WBC title before the fight, won with scores of 98-91, 98-91 and 97-92.

“First of all, can I thank everyone very much? I like this atmosphere, this energy,” Dubois said. “Women’s boxing has always been at the forefront of boxing. Everyone who fought on this card. I couldn’t have done it without you. I know Terri Harper must have been nervous. But listen, Terri put on a good performance and showed why she’s a very, very, very good boxer.”

The fight began as a chess match, with both fighters taking time to hot up and stabilize, with Harper moving well and Dubois struggling to find her range.

The fight came to life when Dubois landed a spotless left hand slow in round 6, dropping Harper to the canvas. The bell rang before action could resume and Harper recovered well in Round 7, but Dubois’ confidence grew as she looked for further opportunities.

“I felt like I could take it to the next level,” Dubois said. “I don’t want to explain myself, but yes, it doesn’t matter. Yes, I felt like I started really well. Terri was very [tentative] and we knew it would be like that, and it was kind of difficult to get it. The sixth round came and it happened.”

Round 8 brought the action fans were hoping for, with both fighters hitting good shots. Dubois fired at her left and stabbed her, and a wound opened above Harper’s left eye.

Perhaps knowing she was behind on the cards, Harper found her second wind in rounds 9 and 10, coming at Dubois as the fight turned into a scrap.

Harper found success with several sturdy right hands and landed a left hook right at the bell in round 9. Harper then dropped her hands in round 10, but it wasn’t enough to move the judges.

Heavyweight champion Claressa Shields, who was with Dubois before the fight, put the fresh unified lightweight champion in the ring after the fight as they celebrated together.

The victory prepares Dubois for gigantic fights, and she has made it clear that she wants to become undisputed at 135 pounds. Stephanie Han, who is also promoted by MVP, holds the WBA belt, but she is scheduled to fight a rematch with Holly Holm in May. Elif Nur Turhan is the IBF champion and has signed a contract with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom.

Dubois also said she would be willing to challenge unified junior lightweight champion Alycia Baumgardner, although the American insisted the fight would be too early for Dubois.

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Gervonta Davis accused of avoiding undefeated rival: ‘He said he would never fight’

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Gervonta Davis accused of avoiding unbeaten contender: “He said he’d never take the fight”

Gervonta Davis’ return appears imminent, but it’s unclear whether the now-hiatus WBA lightweight champion will fight at 135 pounds, and the team of his expected lightweight opponent says “Tank” is avoiding them.

Davis, a three-division champion, has held the WBA title since delayed 2023 and defended it twice, defeating Frank Martin and then drawing with Lamont Roach Jr during his last trip, over a year ago.

However, in January, Davis lost his champion status and was instead named halftime champion, meaning he will likely get a chance to regain the belt after his first fight at 135 pounds.

Although despite rumors that the Baltimore-born knockout puncher will fight at super lightweight and face Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz upon his return, no modern lightweight champion has yet been crowned or a free-for-all title fight ordered.

Floyd Schofield is currently the man to benefit from this situation, but his team is growing increasingly frustrated with the slowness of the process as they wait to be promoted to champion or ordered to fight for the title – against Davis or an alternative challenger.

I’m talking to Boxing in Mill City“Kid Austin”‘s father and trainer, Floyd Schofield Snr, expressed his belief that Davis was avoiding his son and revealed plans to fight for the “Tank” title against a slimmed-down version.

“You need to drop the belt! They’re breaking the law now, federal law. Do I think ‘Kid’ is ready for ‘Tank’?” “The Kid” is ready for them all. There’s a reason why Tank said, “I’ll never get in the ring with that kid. There’s a reason his trainer went online and said Tank will never get in the ring with him.”

“Tank said it out of his own mouth and Tank’s trainer said it on the internet in an interview and said that ‘The reason Tank said it is because he looks at him like an older brother.’ The thing is, Tank can’t go down to 135 and fight Kid, Tank would be at a disadvantage.”

“We want to suck him arid and fight him at 135 pounds, that’s the biggest advantage we have right now. If we let Tank get used to it, he would be on fire, and we let Tank get used to that weight? No!”

“He weighs around 175 pounds now, he needs to get down to 135 pounds and get ready to get in the ring to fight, and the WBA will just do it.” [rehydration clause] where it can only go up to 152 pounds.

Negotiations for Davis-Cruz II are believed to be ongoing, and once confirmation is announced, the WBA will likely make its own announcement regarding the modern lightweight champion.

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Jermell Charlo is negotiating a fight with Sebastian Fundora

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Image: Jermell Charlo Posts Training Video, Declares '154 is Mine'

He also claimed that future options are already planned for Tim Tszyu and Errol Spence Jr.

“We are talking to Tim Tszyu and Errol Spence. All three have agreed to fight me.”

This is an ambitious statement from a fighter who has not competed since his defeat to Canelo Alvarez in 2023. Charlo turns 36 on May 19, and many fans believe the long break should mean tuning in or fighting a challenger first rather than immediately fighting for the champion. Charlo, however, made it clear that he still sees himself as the best man in the division.

The problem is that Jermell is essentially trying to cash his 2022 check in a completely different economy. PPV prices on PBC have increased to over $75, and asking fans to pay that for a guy who hasn’t won a fight since May 2022 is tough. This is a financial risk for promoters.

Jermell is used to unquestioned ‘money. If he’s asking for a huge guaranteed amount to fight Fundora or Ennis, the math just doesn’t work for the promoter unless the bid is above $150 or $200,000.

In boxing, three years is an eternity. Since Jermell stayed noiseless, we’ve seen the rise of Xander Zayas and the emergence of “Boots” Ennis at 154.

“I told you I was coming back. I told you I wanted my stripes,” Charlo said. “Nobody beat me by the belt.”

Promoters aren’t calling because Jermell’s confidence is currently low. If the promoter puts him in the main event and he looks like the version of himself that did or didn’t show up in the Canelo Alvarez match, the event is a disaster. Financially, it could still be a disaster.

Jermell wants the reward of a champion without the upgrade tax that every other veteran has to pay after a long layoff. With 2026 filled with newborn, hungry and busy talent, thinking that you can simply move to the front of the queue because of what you did four years ago is definitely a bold choice.

If Jermell had just gone for it and beaten some of the top 154 ​​fighters like Israil Madrimov, Bakhram Murtazaliev and Brandon Adams, it wouldn’t have been much of a problem.

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David Benavidez Says One Man ‘Must Face Him’ After Zurdo Ramirez: ‘I’m Taking All His Belts’

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David Benavidez says one man “must face him” after Zurdo Ramirez: “I’m taking all his belts”

David Benavidez will fight for Gilberto Ramirez’s unified cruiserweight crown this weekend and if he passes this test, there will only be one person in the “Mexican Monster”.

Benavidez has established himself as one of the most fan-friendly fighters in sports, not only thanks to his fascinating fighting style, but also thanks to his mentality that allows him to face all opponents and take on the toughest challenges.

Reigning at both super middleweight and lightweight heavyweight, the reigning WBC 175-pound champion now moves up to cruiserweight, hoping to hand “Zurdo” Ramirez his second career defeat in what will be the titleholder’s 50th career appearance.

The only other man to defeat Ramirez is unified light heavyweight ruler Dmitry Bivoland v interview with Ariel HelwaniBenavidez made it clear that he intended to return to lightweight heavyweight and then face the Russian.

“I don’t want it to look like he’s scared or nothing, but he knows what it’s like when it comes to David Benavidez. He saw me up close and I saw him up close too.

“He’s a great fighter, we had some great sparring sessions, but he knows I’m not coming to play. He knows that when David Benavidez steps into the ring, all those belts go with David Benavidez.

“I think he knows the dangers and seriousness of this fight and that’s why he took the preparatory fight first. I respect Dmitry Bivol, he’s a great fighter, but he will definitely have to come to me after this fight.”

While Benavidez will fight next weekend, Bivol will make a mandatory defense of his titles against German Michael Eifert on Saturday, May 23, which will be his first fight on home soil since 2021.

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