Decorated amateur Caroline Dubois will make her second professional appearance after impressing in Cardiff last month; watch Dubois return to the ring on the undercard of Richard Riakporhe's cruiserweight showdown with Deion Jumah, live on Sky Sports on March 26
Friday 18 March 2022 07:05, UK
Caroline Dubois says advice from world champion Claressa Shields has emphasised the importance of overcoming pre-fight nerves, ahead of her second professional outing later this month.
The 21-year-old will return to the ring at Wembley Arena on March 26, live on Sky Sports, as she looks to build on an impressive professional debut last month, in which she sealed a dominant victory over Vaida Masikaite.
Despite arriving in the pros with a brilliant 37-3 amateur record, Dubois, who fights in the loaded lightweight division ruled by unified champion Katie Taylor, admitted that the atmosphere in Cardiff gave her some butterflies as she made her way to the ring.
American Shields, who produced a dominant victory of her own to stay on track for a middleweight unification bout with Savannah Marshall later this year, had earlier offered some wisdom.
"I was nervous," Dubois told Sky Sports News. "It was a mega-crowd, a mega atmosphere.
"Coming out I was just so eager to get in the ring, (I have the) same feeling now.
"It was crazy. She (Shields) asked, 'are you nervous?' I said, 'no, not at all.' She said, 'that's exactly it, don't try to make yourself nervous.'
"I want to be able to relax. I want to be able to get in the ring and fight and feel like it's a spar, have that same attitude and just be so relaxed in there. The only way you can get there is getting in that ring time."
Also at ringside, as part of the Sky Sports team, was junior-lightweight world champion Mikaela Mayer, who was very impressed with Dubois' performance.
"It's great," Dubois said of Mayer's praise. "Going up through the amateurs we all know these girls, Mikaela Mayer, Clarissa Shields, these are the girls we all looked up to and now for them to know our names and know who I am, that's mega.
"There are so many good female fighters out there and I want to be competing with them soon.
"I want to be able to relax. I want to be able to get in the ring and fight and feel like it's a spar, have that same attitude and just be so relaxed in there. The only way you can get there is getting in that ring time."
Dubois' second pro fight comes on another high-profile Boxxer card, this time supporting Richard Riakporhe's London cruiserweight showdown with Deion Jumah.
Unbeaten light-heavyweight Dan Azeez makes his first appearance since signing with Boxxer, while Adam Azim is back in action after an electrifying performance in Manchester last month.
