Terri Harper said she “does not want or need” respect from Caroline Dubois as the British world champions continued their war of words ahead of Sunday’s title fight.
The pair will contest the unified lightweight world title at Olympia London.
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Dubois, 25, has stoked the rivalry during the build-up, questioning three-weight world champion Harper’s achievements.
Both fighters insisted “talk is cheap” at Friday’s news conference but the exchanges quickly resumed when attention turned to Harper, 29, pushing Dubois during a face-off on Wednesday.
When asked who was winning the psychological battle, Londoner Dubois replied confidently: “I’ve won every battle and I’ll continue to win every battle.”
Considered one of the brightest prospects in women’s boxing, Dubois is unbeaten in 13 professional fights with 12 wins and one draw.
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She also made a strong start to life under Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions banner with a points victory over Italy’s Camilla Panatta in December.
The Dubois-Harper fight will headline MVP’s first event in the United Kingdom.
Dubois has been calling for the fight since the early stages of her career and was her usual confident self, saying: “This fight is not going past seven rounds.”
At the face-off, Dubois flexed and claimed centre stage but Harper simply grinned, rolled her eyes and shrugged it off.
Later, during the photo call with the rest of the card, Harper stepped in front of Dubois, sending a clear message that she wouldn’t be intimidated.
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The tension threatened to boil over but security quickly stepped in to keep things in check.
From respectful exchange to verbal spar
Harper boasts a record of 16 wins, two losses and two draws. She has shared the ring with some of the sport’s leading names, including Sandy Ryan, Cecilia Braekhus, Natasha Jonas and Alycia Baumgardner, and has previously held world titles at featherweight and light-middleweight.
“You can turn my mic off because Caroline will do all the talking,” Harper said as Dubois continued the verbal exchanges.
She has been fully focused on preparation and staying off social media, accusing Dubois of being too active online and overlooking her opponent.
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“Don’t project, Terri,” Dubois replied as the pair traded barbs.
There was a brief – and rather surprising – moment of respect between the pair.
“Caroline is the best fighter that I’m going to fight and I’ve prepared for that,” Harper said.
Dubois returned the compliment, insisting their rivalry was strictly professional. “I’ve got nothing against her as a human being, as a person. I’m sure she’s the nicest person in the world,” she said.
But the truce was short-lived. When Dubois said respect could only truly be earned inside the ring, Harper replied bluntly: “I do not want and I do not need Caroline’s respect.”
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Taylor’s ‘ship has sailed’ – Cameron
The depth of female talent on MVP’s roster was also on display at Olympia as some of Britain’s leading fighters – Chantelle Cameron, Ellie Scotney, Dubois and Harper – gathered beneath the venue’s glass-arched ceiling.
All fighters spoke about the importance of the event for women’s boxing.
“Everyone on this table will prove why women can do it and they can do it the same as men,” Scotney said.
In the co-main event, 28-year-old Scotney from Catford will face Mexico’s Mayelli Flores Rosquero for the undisputed super-bantamweight title.
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Northampton’s Cameron, 34, will attempt to become a two-weight world champion when she takes on unbeaten Michaela Kotaskova, of the Czech Republic, for the WBO light-middleweight belt.
Cameron remains the only fighter to have defeated Irish great Katie Taylor before losing their rematch six months later. Asked whether she would welcome a trilogy with Taylor – who has said she plans to fight once more – Cameron said “the ship has sailed” and wished her rival well.
Also on the card, Norwich’s Emma Dolan, 27, challenges IBF super-flyweight champion Irma Garcia for her first world title. The 44-year-old Mexican veteran has had 35 professional bouts compared with Dolan’s eight.
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