Caroline Dubois continued to taunt Terri Harper on Friday, as the tension around their grudge match kept rising at a pre-fight press conference.
Dubois has sniped at Harper time and again over the past three months, and their verbal back-and-forth will give way to a title-unification clash on Sunday.
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At London’s Olympia, Dubois will defend her WBC lightweight belt against her British rival, who defends the WBO title in the main-event showdown. The women-centric card includes three other world-title fights, too, featuring British talents Chantelle Cameron, Ellie Scotney and Emma Dolan.
Harper, a three-weight champion, has been much-less loquacious than the unbeaten Dubois in the build-up, and the same was the case at Friday’s press conference, where Dubois repeatedly taunted the 29-year-old.
Dubois, 25, initially pounced when Harper said: “Caroline just said herself, ‘talk is cheap’, and that’s all she’s done these last 12 weeks. I’ve been fully focused on this job that I’ve got to do on Sunday night. You’ll see I’ve been quiet on my socials, whereas Caroline’s been arguing online, getting sucked into everything.”
Dubois responded: “Don’t project, Terri. If that’s what would distract you, that’s fine. I’m an elite athlete. I’ve been doing this since I was 9 years old. I’m not a weak individual, I don’t get sucked in by noise, I run towards the fire. You can say what you want about your own projection, maybe this is what would scare you.”
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The subject of fear arose again later in the press conference, when Harper was asked what she would bring to Sunday’s main event and said an “engine”.
Dubois and Harper (right) with promoter Nakisa Bidarian in February (Mark Robinson MVP)
“That’s it? That’s a bit sad,” Dubois jibed. “I’d hate to be going into a fight thinking: ‘All I’ve got is an engine.’ That’s a bit scary.” In response to her opponent’s taunts, Harper said Dubois would be bringing “a mouth” into Sunday’s grudge match.
Harper also said, “You can turn my mic off, Caroline’s going to do my talking for me,” and, “I do not want, I do not need Caroline’s respect,” after one comment from Dubois.
“Sweet Caroline” had just said: “It’s not that I don’t respect what she’s done, but as an athlete – as a fighter – I believe that respect is earned, never given. From my side, there is no animosity.
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“This woman believes she’s gonna beat me, [believes] she’s gonna take everything I’ve worked for since I was 9 years old. That’s that rivalry, that’s where it’s come from. I’ve got nothing against her as a person, I’m sure she’s the nicest person in the world.”
Dubois is aiming to collect another world title while staying unbeaten (Ben Whitley/PA)
Still, Dubois (12-0-1, 5 KOs) said: “I’ve won every battle, I’ll continue to win every battle until fight night, and there is no way my hand is not getting raised on Sunday. I feel like this fight is not going past seven rounds.”
“Caroline needs to hope there’s a knockout,” Harper (16-2-2, 6 KOs) retorted, “otherwise she knows she’s in trouble.”
Sunday’s event will air live on Sky Sports in the UK and is organised by Most Valuable Promotions, the company run by YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul and his business partner Nakisa Bidarian.
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