Caroline Dubois has announced that she will no longer be working with long‑time trainer 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 be part of a card that showcases a slate of female fighters from the United Kingdom and the United States.
McGuigan, who has earned a reputation as one of the globe’s premier boxing coaches, first linked up with Dubois in 2021. Their partnership quickly bore fruit, delivering a string of high‑profile victories that propelled the 25‑year‑old to the top of the women’s lightweight division.
Under McGuigan’s guidance Dubois stopped Maira Moneo, dispatched Bo Mi Re Shin, and captured a unification win over Terri Harper in April, cementing her status as a unified world champion. Despite the success they shared, Dubois said her decision to join forces with Manny Robles – the celebrated trainer behind the likes of Andy Ruiz Jr., Oscar Valdez and Brandon Figueroa – was motivated purely by a desire to push her career to the next level. She emphasized that there was no animosity toward McGuigan and expressed deep gratitude for everything he had contributed to her development.
"Most fighters change coaches after a loss and look for someone to blame. That’s a weak approach," Dubois explained. "I’m incredibly proud of the journey we’ve had together.
With Shane’s help I became a unified world champion, I announced myself on the biggest stage in women’s boxing, and we achieved that together." She continued, "A massive thank you to Shane McGuigan – he’s been a phenomenal coach and an essential part of my team. I’m honored, proud and privileged to have worked with him. That work doesn’t disappear; it becomes part of the foundation I build on." Dubois framed her move to the United States and a new coaching team as a strategic step in a broader quest for greatness. "I want to grow, develop and become the best fighter anyone has ever seen.
A fighter should never stop learning or limit themselves," she said. "Changing environments and trying a different coaching style is part of that journey." The upcoming fight with Amelia Moore will be contested at 135 pounds over ten two‑minute rounds. The event will also feature headline bouts between Mikaela Mayer and Chantelle Cameron, making the entire card an all‑female showcase.
While Dubois is eager to defend her titles, she has expressed frustration that the fight is framed as a defense rather than a unification bout. She had previously pursued a match with Turkish contender Elif Nur Turhan, but negotiations fell apart over what Dubois described as an "astronomical" purse demand. "Turhan asked for an amount that was absurd, almost laughable.
It felt like a joke, and I’m not interested in chasing jokes. That kind of money is more like retirement money than a fight purse," Dubois said. "I still believe a fight with her will happen someday, but for now my focus is elsewhere." Looking ahead, Dubois has also hinted at a potential showdown with WBA lightweight champion Stephanie Han, and earlier this year she publicly called out Alycia Baumgardner, insisting their highly anticipated clash "has to happen sooner rather than later." McGuigan, reflecting on his former protégé’s future, remained bullish. In 2023 he told Sky Sports that he expected Dubois to capture every belt in the lightweight division and that she was "the best lightweight in the world." He added that he envisioned her eventually becoming an undisputed champion across multiple weight classes, including super‑lightweight and welterweight, noting that she continues to improve with each fight.
Former undisputed champion Ellie Scotney echoed that sentiment, describing Dubois as a "generational talent" who is only beginning to tap her full potential. "There was nothing wrong with her situation that forced a change. Sometimes you just need a new environment to keep growing, and I think she’s at that point," Scotney told Sky Sports. The upcoming MVPW‑06 event in Birmingham promises to be a landmark night for women’s boxing, with Dubois’s appearance adding further intrigue to an already stacked card.
Fans can catch the action live on August 29 via Sky Sports, or stream the fight through a contract‑free boxing service. As Dubois steps into a new training camp and prepares for her title defense, the boxing world will be watching closely to see how this next chapter of her career unfolds.