Caroline Dubois and Terri Harper trade verbal blows as unification bout looms

The pair did not hold back

The women's lightweight division is currently on hold, as Caroline Dubois (12-0-1, 5KOs) prepares to take on Terri Harper (16-2-2, 6KOs) in a mammoth unification bout on April 5 .

Set for London, both the WBC and WBO titles will be put on the line, as the women look to etch their names into lightweight folklore.

In the lead-up, there has been a fair bit of needle, with Dubois’ brash nature setting the stage for fireworks in April.

Speaking during an episode of The Gloves Are Off , Harper did recognise her foe's skillset, though she condemned her attitude outside of the ring.

“I saw Caroline as soon as she turned professional. I used to be a big fan of her. I think she’s a good boxer, she’s got a great style, but I think once I got to know what her attitude is like, arrogance, it kind of puts a bad taste in your mouth.”

However, in trademark fashion, Dubois hit back, claiming that her attitude is only natural, before hinting at some potential fear from her fellow Briton.

This is a woman coming to take my belt, coming to take everything I’ve been fighting for since I was nine years old, coming to take my legacy that I believe I can lay, and obviously my future. If she wins, she’s taken all of that. So obviously there’s that energy from me. I don’t understand how [Harper] can call yourself a professional fighter and you’re backing away from that energy.

“I said she’s irrelevant and she is. It’s not about her. I’m looking through her, I’m looking for the belts. That’s what it’s about.

“I think it’s my energy…I would rather be the wicked than the weak and that’s just my intensity.

“I think she’s checked out, mentally. I think she’s a weak person. She doesn’t believe herself, but that’s not really my business, not really my problem…I think that fight against Sandy Ryan showed a lot. I think that fight against Rhiannon Dixon showed a lot…I was like ‘you’re a three weight world champion and you’re fighting like that?! Damn.’

“I don’t rate you. I don’t rate what you’ve done, I don’t rate what you are as an athlete, as a fighter, as a person. I don’t rate you.”