Caroline Dubois couldn’t deliver the knockout finish sought by her team but excelled in every other way.
The unbeaten Londoner dominated Uruguay’s Maira Moneo over ten rounds to win the interim WBC lightweight title. Scores of 100-89, 100-90 and 99-90 all landed for Dubois in their Sky Sports/Peacock+ co-feature Saturday at Oakwell Football Ground in Barnsley, England.
Moneo was floored in round six but otherwise showed a sturdy chin and a brave fighting heart.
Dubois (10-0, 5 knockouts) was dominant from the outset and capitalized on Moneo’s aggressive approach. The 2020 Olympian for Team Great Britain utilized her jab and also found repeat success with her lead right hook. Moneo was able to land her own power shots but had minimal impact in her attempted title defense.
The bout’s lone knockdown came courtesy of a left hook from Dubois in the sixth. Moneo picked herself up and kept chugging forward. The demand in Dubois’ corner was to close the show but instead came a nearly flawless performance from the 23-year-old southpaw.
Moneo fell to 14-2 (3 KOs) in her first career fight outside of Uruguay. She claimed the vacant interim WBC title last December. Her team attempted to use it as leverage to force a fight with RING/WBC/WBA 135-pound queen Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs). It didn’t play, as Taylor chose to remain at 140 where she will defend her RING/undisputed championship versus Amanda Serrano (47-2-1, 31 KOs) in November.
Dubois is now in position to challenge at least for Taylor’s WBC belt. The sense is that she will have to settle for an upgrade to full title status.
Earlier on the show, Stevie McKenna stopped Joe Laws in a terrific three-round shootout.
Both fighters hit the deck in a Round of the Year-worthy first round. Laws was felled by right hands early in the opening frame but quickly leveled up the playing field. McKenna was a bit too wild in the follow up and caught a right of his own to send him to the deck.
Action continued in round two though McKenna permanently surged ahead. McKenna (15-0, 14 KOs) eventually beat the fight out of Laws (14-3, 5 KOs). Three knockdowns in the third was enough for Laws’ corner to literally throw in the towel.
The win was the sixth in a row inside the distance for McKenna, who has yet to go deeper than six rounds.
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The post Caroline Dubois Drops, Dominates Maira Moneo, Now WBC Mandatory To Katie Taylor’s Lightweight Crown appeared first on The Ring.
