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 recognised as one of the premier boxing coaches in the world, first began working with the 25‑year‑old French‑British prospect in 2021. During their partnership, Dubois captured a string of impressive victories, including wins over Maira Moneo and Bo Mi Re Shin, and most notably a unification triumph over Terri Harper in April that secured her status as a unified champion.
Their collaboration helped Dubois rise to the top of the women's lightweight division and cement her reputation on the global stage. In a recent interview, Dubois explained that her decision to join forces with Manny Robles – the celebrated trainer behind champions such as Andy Ruiz Jr., Oscar Valdez and Brandon Figueroa – was motivated solely by her desire to continue climbing toward boxing greatness. She emphasized that there was no animosity toward McGuigan, expressing deep gratitude for the role he played in her career.
"Most of the time fighters leave a coach after a loss and look for someone to blame. That's a weak move," Dubois said. "I’m incredibly proud of the journey we shared. With Shane’s guidance I became a unified world champion, I announced myself on the biggest stage in women's boxing, and we did it together.
I want to thank Shane for being a phenomenal coach and an essential part of my team. I’m honoured, proud and privileged to have worked with him." Dubois added that the work she and McGuigan accomplished will not be forgotten; instead, it will become part of the foundation that supports her future growth. "I’m on a quest for greatness and I’ll do whatever it takes to get there.
Moving to the United States and trying a different coaching set‑up is part of that quest," she explained. "I want to evolve, to become the best fighter anyone has ever seen.
A fighter should never stop learning or limiting themselves." The upcoming fight against Amelia Moore will be the centerpiece of a card that also features Mikaela Mayer versus Chantelle Cameron as the headline. All of the match‑ups are between female fighters from the United Kingdom and the United States, highlighting the growing depth of talent on both sides of the Atlantic. Despite the excitement surrounding the Moore bout, Dubois expressed frustration that she is being asked to defend her titles rather than pursue further unification. She had been negotiating a fight with Turkish contender Elif Nur Turhan, but the financial terms proposed by Turhan’s camp were, in Dubois’s words, "astronomical" and "absurd." "The amount she asked for was ridiculous – it wasn’t even a joke.
It was so outlandish you’d think I was making it up," Dubois said. "She’s basically a joker, and the only thing you do with jokers is walk away. That kind of money is retirement money, not fight money." Dubois remains confident that a showdown with Turhan will eventually materialise, but she is also keeping her eyes on other potential opponents.
One such target is WBA lightweight champion Stephanie Han, whose style could provide an intriguing clash. Earlier in the year, Dubois publicly called out Alycia Baumgardner, insisting that their highly anticipated encounter "has to happen sooner rather than later." McGuigan, reflecting on his time with Dubois, has repeatedly praised her abilities. In 2023 he predicted that she would capture every belt in the lightweight division and called her "the best lightweight in the world." He also hinted that she could eventually become an undisputed champion across multiple weight classes, adding, "I genuinely believe she can succeed at lightweight, super‑lightweight and welterweight. She’s still developing and getting better every day." Former undisputed champion Ellie Scotney echoed these sentiments, describing Dubois as a "generational talent" who is only beginning to tap her full potential.
"Nothing was going wrong for her to make that move," Scotney told Sky Sports. "Sometimes you just have to make a change, and I think she’s at that point." Looking ahead, Dubois’s fight in Birmingham will be part of the MVPW‑06 event, headlined by the Mayer‑Cameron showdown, and will be streamed live on Sky Sports.
Fans can also access the bout via the NOW platform, which offers contract‑free boxing streams. The event promises to showcase some of the finest female talent in the sport and will serve as a pivotal moment in Dubois’s quest for further glory.
In summary, while parting ways with Shane McGuigan marks the end of a successful chapter, it also opens a new avenue for Caroline Dubois to refine her craft under Manny Robles. Her upcoming defense against Amelia Moore, combined with potential future match‑ups against elite opponents like Turhan, Han or Baumgardner, ensures that the lightweight division will remain a focal point of women's boxing. As Dubois continues to chase greatness, she carries with her the lessons learned from McGuigan, the support of her new team, and an unwavering determination to become the sport’s most dominant fighter.