Alycia Baumgardner has made it clear that Caroline Dubois still has work to do before the American champion will consider stepping into the ring with the unified lightweight world champion. Baumgardner, who holds the WBA, WBO and IBF super‑featherweight titles, is set to defend her three belts against Bo Mi Re Shin on Sky Sports, with the bout scheduled to start at 3 a.m.
on Saturday. Dubois, fresh from a high‑profile victory over Terri Harper that earned her the WBC and WBO lightweight crowns, immediately turned her attention to Baumgardner, publicly challenging the American to a clash of champions. While Baumgardner did not dismiss the idea outright, she cautioned that Dubois needs to further cement her status as a champion before the fight can become a reality.
"Every fight is a potential fight," she told Sky Sports News, adding, "I think Caroline on her end needs to continue to build who she is as a champion." Baumgardner highlighted the weight‑class discrepancy as a key factor. Dubois has repeatedly spoken about becoming undisputed at 135 pounds, whereas Baumgardner is still defending her titles at 130 pounds.
"When we talk about building a fight, when we talk about what it is to entertain, those fights need to be worked on," Baumgardner explained, emphasizing that both athletes must demonstrate commitment to the matchup. She continued, "She needs to put some more skin in the game as I mentioned.
I have done my part, I've shown plenty of times that I put on great shows and I became undisputed. I put the work in and now she needs to do the same and then call me out. I think I just heard she wants to move to 147 pounds so I think she's really ducking me at this point.
So we'll just have to see." Dubois, for her part, has several options on the table. Nakisa Bidarian, co‑founder of Most Valuable Promoters, suggested that Dubois should first clean up the lightweight division before taking on Baumgardner. "If she becomes close to undisputed, the event will be even bigger," Bidarian told Sky Sports, pointing to an upcoming WBA lightweight title rematch between Stephanie Han and Holly Holm on May 30 as a potential stepping stone for Dubois.
On the super‑featherweight side, another possible opponent for Baumgardner is Caroline Veyre, the current WBC champion at 130 pounds. Dmitriy Salita, Veyre’s promoter, expressed enthusiasm for a showdown, stating, "We're absolutely open to it and would like to move quickly to make the fight happen. I have a lot of confidence in Caroline’s ability, her mindset, and the team around her. She's a true champion." Salita added that if Baumgardner wins her Saturday bout, his camp would be ready to negotiate immediately.
Most Valuable Promotions, the outfit founded by Bidarian and social‑media star Jake Paul, is aggressively building the deepest roster in women’s boxing. The organization now boasts more than 45 fighters and 16 world champions, aiming to become the reference brand for the sport. Bidarian explained the vision: "From day one we asked how we could make women’s boxing as meaningful as the broader combat‑sports ecosystem, inspired by Ronda Rousey’s rise in the UFC." He noted that while men’s boxing already has a crowded promotional landscape, women’s boxing offers a clear opportunity to become the flagship product.
Bidarian also shared a personal motivation, recalling his upbringing by a single mother and his desire to support single‑parent families. His experience at the UFC, where he witnessed the introduction of women’s MMA and the impact of Ronda Rousey, reinforced his belief that fighters should be the central focus of any promotion.
"Jake was supportive from day one and continues to view women’s boxing as even more exciting than men’s because these athletes go in there and go at it. It’s pretty fascinating," Bidarian said, highlighting Paul’s role in attracting a younger audience and helping fill a market gap. The upcoming Sky Sports card at Madison Square Garden features not only Baumgardner vs. Shin but also a WBO and IBF super‑middleweight unification bout between Shadasia Green and Lani Daniels.
A victory for Green could set up a future showdown with Claressa Shields, the undisputed heavyweight champion and one of the sport’s biggest stars. Bidarian expressed interest in that potential matchup, saying, "We’re definitely interested in seeing how Shadasia Green does on April 17 against Lani Daniels, who Claressa Shields also fought, and trying to make Claressa Shields versus Shadasa Green happen." In summary, while the idea of a Baumgardner‑Dubois clash generates excitement among fans, both fighters appear to be taking a measured approach. Baumgardner wants Dubois to solidify her claim to undisputed status and demonstrate a willingness to move weight classes, whereas Dubois is weighing options that could further elevate her résumé before committing to a cross‑division showdown. As the weekend’s events unfold, the boxing community will watch closely to see which paths the two champions ultimately choose, and whether a future bout between them will materialize as a marquee event in women’s boxing.