Caroline Dubois has announced that she will no longer be training under Shane McGuigan as she prepares to defend her WBC and WBO lightweight crowns against Amelia Moore at the BP Pulse LIVE Arena in Birmingham on August 29. The bout will be broadcast live on Sky Sports and will feature ten two‑minute rounds at the 135‑pound limit. McGuigan, widely regarded as one of the premier boxing coaches in the world, first began working with the 25‑year‑old French‑British champion in 2021. During their partnership, Dubois captured a string of impressive victories, including wins over Maira Moneo and Bo Mi Re Shin, and she secured a high‑profile unification triumph over Terri Harper in April.
Those achievements helped cement her status as the unified lightweight champion and raised the profile of women’s boxing on a global stage. In a candid interview, Dubois explained that her decision to join forces with Manny Robles – the respected trainer behind fighters such as Andy Ruiz Jr., Oscar Valdez and Brandon Figueroa – is driven solely by her ambition to dominate the sport.
She emphasized that there is no animosity toward McGuigan, offering heartfelt thanks for his contributions. "Most of the time a fighter parts ways with a coach after a loss and looks for someone to blame. That’s a weak excuse," Dubois said.
"I’m incredibly proud of what Shane and I accomplished together. He helped me become a unified world champion and gave me a platform on the biggest stage in women’s boxing. I’m grateful for his guidance and for being a huge part of my team." Dubois continued, "That work doesn’t disappear; it becomes part of the foundation that I’ll build on. My quest for greatness means I’m willing to try new environments, and moving to the United States to train with a different team is a logical step in that journey.
I want to evolve, keep learning, and become the best fighter anyone has ever seen. A fighter should never stop growing or limit themselves." The upcoming fight against Amelia Moore will be part of a card that also showcases Mikaela Mayer versus Chantelle Cameron as the headline event. All of the match‑ups on the card are between female fighters from the United Kingdom and the United States, highlighting the growing depth of talent on both sides of the Atlantic. While Dubois is excited about the bout with Moore, she expressed frustration that her current contract obliges her to defend her titles rather than pursue further unification fights.
She has previously sought a showdown with Turkish contender Elif Nur Turhan, but negotiations fell apart over what Dubois described as an "astronomical, ridiculous" purse demand. "The amount she asked for was absurd – it wasn’t even a joke.
It sounded like retirement money, something you’d never see in a fight contract," Dubois said. "She’s basically a joker, and you just leave jokers alone." Despite the setback, Dubois remains optimistic that a fight with Turhan could happen in the future. She is also eyeing a possible clash with WBA lightweight champion Stephanie Han, and earlier this year she publicly called out Alycia Baumgardner, insisting that their highly anticipated matchup "has to happen sooner rather than later." McGuigan, reflecting on his former protégé’s potential, told Sky Sports that he believes Dubois can capture every belt in the lightweight division and even become an undisputed champion across multiple weight classes. "Even though the lightweight division is probably the most contested in women’s boxing, she’s blitzing everybody," he said.
"I genuinely think she can succeed at lightweight, super‑lightweight and welterweight. She’s still developing and getting better every day." Former undisputed champion Ellie Scotney also weighed in, describing Dubois as a "generational talent" who is only beginning to tap into her full abilities. "There was nothing going wrong that forced her to move on; sometimes a fighter simply needs a change to keep progressing," Scotney explained. "She’s at a point in her career where a new environment could unlock the next level of her potential." The fight in Birmingham will be streamed live on Sky Sports, with options to watch without a long‑term contract via NOW’s contract‑free boxing service.
Fans are encouraged to use the Chrome browser for the best video experience. As the lightweight champion prepares for her next test, Dubois’s decision to switch camps underscores a broader trend in modern boxing: elite athletes are increasingly willing to make bold changes in pursuit of legacy‑defining achievements. Whether she secures a win against Moore, eventually lands a bout with Turhan, or lines up a clash with Baumgardner, Dubois’s career trajectory remains one of the most compelling storylines in women’s boxing today.