British boxer Caroline Dubois has revealed the reasons for turning professional after signing for promotional team BOXXER.
The 20-year-old competed at her first-ever Olympics in Tokyo this year –– reaching the quarter-finals – and is already making the step up the pro level.
BOXXER has signed a four year deal with Sky Sports and Dubois is just one of many stars who will be on show, alongside the likes of Hughie Fury, Chris Eubank Jr. and Savannah Marshall.
The first event of the new BOXXER deal will take place on 2nd October and will see Chris Eubank Jr. take on Sven Elbir.
Two weeks later, Hughie Fury takes on Christian Hammer, while Savannah Marshall faces Lolita Muzeya. Both events will air live and exclusively on Sky Sports, with tickets available to purchase via https://www.boxxer.com/tickets/
Dubois is aiming to fight in the lightweight division, which contains many of the sports’ top stars. The likes of Terri Harper, Natasha Jonas and Mikaela Mayer are all possible opponents later down the line and the Brit has certainly not chosen the easy route.
Speaking to GiveMeSport Women, the former world youth champion opened up on why she has chosen to take a leap of faith into the realms of professional boxing.
“The main reason was the thought of a challenge,” she admitted. “There’s a lot of pressure around the pros and around wanting to turn pro and having to perform. You can’t have any flat performances. And I feel like that pressure is what shapes you and makes you a better person.”
Dubois’ first Olympic games ended in controversial fashion after a contentious points decision went against her in her quarter-final match against Thailand’s Sudaporn Seesondee.
The Brit feels like she won the fight but will have no opportunity of revenge at Paris 2024 since professional fighters are not permitted to return to the amateur level.
While Dubois concedes that she’ll forever be looking back on Tokyo thinking ‘what if’, this was a chance she deemed impossible to turn down.
“There will always be that regret. I feel like as humans and as people we make decisions and we’re always going to regret some. But it will be what it is. God has a plan and you have a plan. I feel like you’ve just gotta take the opportunities as they come and this is a good opportunity and I took it.”
Having grown up in a boxing family, Dubois’ brother Daniel was faced with a similar decision not long ago. Due to compete in the Tokyo Olympics himself, the 23-year-old decided instead to join an illustrious array of talent in the heavyweight division.
Asked if she has spoken to her brother about making such a transition, Dubois stresses she’s been in constant communication with him.
“Every day I speak to him. Before I even thought about turning pro I was always asking him how he felt when he got in the ring? How does he feel with the crowds? How does he feel about everyone recognising you?
“Me and him are always having those conversations and he’s helped me a lot. I’m his supporter and he’s mine. I look up to him. He’s my older brother and I want to make him proud.”
Despite looking forward to her first professional bout, Dubois says when it comes to watching her brother it’s a different story. Though Daniel has lost just once in his career and registered 16 knockouts, the 20-year-old hates the idea of seeing a loved one get hurt.
“It’s like two different things,” she explains. “When I’m boxing, I love boxing. It’s the best thing ever. When he’s boxing, I hate it. It’s the worst experience.
“He’s fighting big men and you know in the heavyweight division things can change with one punch and I don’t want to see him get hurt.”
Details of Dubois’ first fight are yet to be announced, but she has big expectations. The dream, like all fighters, is to win a world title one day in front of a sold-out arena. The British prodigy has many venues in mind and couldn’t give just one standout.
“Growing up I loved watching the American fights at the MGM Grand, the Barclays Center. Obviously, everyone in England wants to fight at Wembley and the O2 as well, but I just want to fight all over the world.”