Caroline Dubois is the No 1 women’s prospect in world boxing, says promoter Ben Shalom | Boxing News

Caroline Dubois is looking to win the WBC Interim lightweight title and confirm herself as a world level operator.

She takes on Uruguay’s battle-hardened Maira Moneo for the belt on Saturday at the Oakwell stadium in Barnsley, live on Sky Sports.

Moneo is a seasoned pro. She’s fought good opponents and her solitary defeat was a disqualification, due to a head butt, against a boxer she had already beaten once before.

But promoter Ben Shalom is expecting “a statement” performance from Dubois.

“She’ll be looking to show why she’s levels above,” he said. “It’s going to be a long journey with Caroline.

“She’s looking at Katie Taylor, who is 12, 13, 14 years her senior and thinking what can I achieve in the next decade? What can I do in the sport, what can I do inside the ring and what can I do outside of the ring?

“She has a great foundation now. I think she’s recognised as one of the best, if not the No 1 prospect in world boxing in the female sport.”

Taylor still retains the WBC’s full world championship at 135lbs though she has been boxing up at super-lightweight where she is also the undisputed world champion.

Victory against Moneo would make Dubois a mandatory challenger for one of Taylor’s lightweight belts. But that wouldn’t necessarily secure Dubois a fight with the Irish superstar. Taylor will have to decide which division she will continue to campaign in.

If Taylor does stay at 140lbs, the WBC Interim belt could be upgraded to the full lightweight world championship.

“She’s now fighting for this Interim title assuming Katie Taylor does stay and doesn’t come back down,” Shalom said.

“Taylor somehow has held on to two of the world titles despite not fighting in the division anymore and for me will never return to this division. But [Dubois] knows that and she’s patient and she’s so young and she knows that her time is coming. In a few years, it’ll be her with all four world titles.

“This will become her first world title and what a great world title. There are some huge fights, some huge unifications, particularly the domestic unification fight perhaps with Rhiannon Dixon down the line.”

Dixon, who holds the WBO lightweight title, would be an appealing opponent for Dubois in the future.

Shalom believes that fight could take place towards the end of this year, if both are successful in their upcoming title fights.

“This is a fight Caroline wants and I believe Rhiannon’s team wants as well and that always helps,” he said.

“I am hopeful and I do believe it will be Caroline and Rhiannon’s next fight after the summer and it’s a huge British fight.”

‘Huge opportunity’

Also on the Barnsley bill is local man Callum Simpson challenging Zak Chelli for the British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles.

Both harbour ambitions of winning further titles too.

“Callum and Zak will be hoping that this takes them to European and world level,” Shalom said.

“Mark Jeffers is another fighter that we’re massively behind in the super-middleweight division. We think down the line a Jeffers-Simpson fight is going to be huge.

“When you have a loss, you learn a lot from it and Callum’s not experienced that. Zak’s fought at a far higher level. For a homecoming, for a fight like this perhaps not the fight you’d choose, but Zak’s the one with the British and Commonwealth titles and he’ll be coming to cause an upset.

“I just think it’s a huge opportunity for both of them.”

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Watch Zak Chelli vs Callum Simpson bill live on Sky Sports Action from 7.30pm on Saturday August 3.