CAROLINE DUBOIS has completed her transformation from secret schoolboy “Colin” to British boxing bombshell.
The 22-year-old lightweight began her boxing journey as a nine-year-old girl at the brilliant Repton Boys Club and had to hide her gender to mix it with the lads.
But, on Saturday night, she headlines a Sky Sports show from the iconic York Hall and aims to collect the stepping-stone IBO world title.
Since striking out of the family home earlier this year, the little sister of heavyweight ace Daniel has evolved from wunderkind to Wonder Woman, turning heads wherever she enters.
And world champions in multiple divisions – like Katie Taylor and Chantelle Cameron – are on notice.
Ahead of the bout with Magali Rodriguez, after a trip down memory lane, Dubois told SunSport: “You’re right, I have grown up, grown in confidence, I feel like I have really become my own person.
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“I am growing as a human being and as a woman, not just an athlete, and that’s most important.
“It’s good to hear people are taking more notice of me when I walk in to watch others fight, this is my sport.
“I signed up for this, I committed to this from childhood, I enjoy everything about it, not just the fighting and the training, the other side of the sport too.
“I love going to as many shows as possible, watching all the big shows and getting ready for my own.”
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Ireland legend Taylor has all four major lightweight world titles but has moved up to super-light for a great rivalry with Cameron, the rerun of Cameron’s win coming at the end of November.
It’s a frustrating period for the 2020 Olympian who beats up far bigger women – and still occasionally men – in sparring yet is being forced to wait for her shot in the real ring.
She explained: “I want a major world title fight sooner rather than later but Katie Taylor is rematching Chantelle Cameron and – depending on how that goes – she also has a rematch with Amanda Serrano in the contract from their first fight.
“That could potentially take up another 12 months of waiting around – but as soon as an opportunity becomes available, I will be ready to take it.
“Doing hard spars and training camps for fights that I know I should win can be frustrating, but I have called out some big names lately, like Mikaela Mayer.
“I am not doing it out of disrespect, I am doing it because I know I can step up and in with them and have great fights, and win them.
“I am ready to go up to heavier weights if I have to, I will chase anyone up the divisions.”
It’s not just in Shane McGuigan’s training ring or London’s top venues that Dubois is showing a ruthless streak.
The 7-0 star snapped back on Twitter at rival promoter Eddie Hearn recently and will happily pull the social media trigger on anyone else who steps out of line.
“These people bring the worst out of me!” she laughed.
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“I need to get cancelled or counselling, I can’t go Twitter or Instagram too much because they are too toxic.
“I only need to be worried about fighting in the ring, no more fights online, in the ring online.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
