British women’s lightweight contender Caroline Dubois has been steadily advancing in her career and is now positioned as the top contender for undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor. This recognition comes after her impressive victory on September 30th over the Mexican veteran Magali Rodriguez at York Hall in London. However, like many other top lightweights in her division, Dubois finds herself in a weight class where the champion has been unavailable for nearly a year.
Katie Taylor (22-1, 6 KO’s) became the undisputed lightweight champion in 2019 and successfully defended her titles against all challengers. However, in 2023, Taylor decided to move up to the super lightweight division to face its undisputed champion, Chantelle Cameron (18-0, 8 KO’s). This move resulted in Taylor’s first career loss on May 20th.
Although Taylor is set to rematch Cameron on November 25th, again at 140 lbs, her last fight in the lightweight division took place on October 29th, 2022. This means that by the upcoming date of October 29th this year, Taylor will not have fought in the lightweight division for a year.
Taylor’s continued absence at 135 lbs is causing stagnation in the division, preventing contenders like Caroline Dubois (8-0, 5 KO’s), Rhiannon Dixon (9-0, 1 KO’s), and Beke Bas (18-0, 8 KO’s) from having the opportunity to compete for a world championship.
As discussed in one of our previous articles, there is a possibility that one of Taylor’s titles will be vacated due to her inactivity in defending them before her rematch with Chantelle Cameron on November 25th. This would be a reasonable resolution since Taylor has not been present in her division to warrant holding all four world titles.
The WBA is currently the only sanctioning body taking steps to ensure the division remains competitive. They have ordered Uruguayan lightweight contender Maira Moneo (13-1, 3 KO’s) to face French contender Estelle Mossely (11-0-1, 1 KO’s) for the WBA interim lightweight title. This bout is set to take place in roughly two weeks’ time on October 18th.
Caroline Dubois, at just 22 years old, is on the cusp of becoming a world title challenger, alongside fellow Brit Rhiannon Dixon. Interestingly, both fighters competed recently on the same date of September 30th, albeit on different fight cards, and both asserted themselves as two of the top contenders in the division through their victories. These two boxers also share similar records, with each having had fewer than ten professional fights.
A matchup between Dubois and Dixon would present an excellent opportunity for one of the sanctioning bodies (aside from the WBA) to arrange a fight to determine a new interim champion or mandatory challenger.
In essence, Katie Taylor’s prolonged absence from the lightweight division should increase the likelihood of her relinquishing one of her titles. This scenario would be beneficial for the sport, as it would compel her to unify with the champion who wins her vacant title, ultimately contributing to the growth and competitiveness of women’s boxing.
Currently, the WBC, WBO, and IBF have the authority to arrange interim or mandatory bouts in the women’s lightweight division, but they have yet to exercise this power. The WBO mandates a title defense every six months, while the IBF allows champions nine months for a defense.
The WBC, however, has faced criticism for its handling of champions and titles. For the sport’s progress, it is crucial that these sanctioning bodies recognize the stagnation in the lightweight division and act accordingly to promote competitiveness and growth in women’s boxing.
