Reporting note: this article draws on Sky Sports; LodiScore provides the summary and editorial framing.
Baumgardner Rejects Shields' Accusations Ahead of Dubois Title Defense
The architecture of the women's lightweight division remains in sharp focus in Birmingham this weekend around the Mayer vs Cameron bill. Unified super featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner addressed claims from Claressa Shields that she is deliberately avoiding London’s Caroline Dubois, dismissing any talk of hesitation as premature positioning.
Shields publicly accused Baumgardner of sidestepping Dubois to protect her record. Baumgardner responded directly to the friction, pointing out the weight disparity and rejecting any notion of fear inside the ropes.
"Claressa has always been jealous of me because she's not the weight class that I am, making the biggest fights," Baumgardner said. "I could never be scared of anybody. You can't be scared when you do a sport like this."
The Road to a 135-Pound Showdown
Dubois is scheduled to defend her WBC and WBO lightweight world titles against Amelia Moore as the co-main event of MVPW-06, sharing the card with Mikaela Mayer vs Chantelle Cameron. Baumgardner, who holds the WBA, IBF, WBO, and Ring belts at super featherweight, is preparing for her own lightweight test against undefeated IBF champion Elif Nur Turhan (14-0, 8 KOs) on November 8.
Should both fighters emerge unscathed, the division angles toward a high-stakes meeting. Yet Baumgardner made clear that she views Dubois as an unfinished structure still climbing toward elite contention.
"She does [still have to reach my level], but she's a hungry fighter and I'm all for her wanting to take a challenge," Baumgardner stated. "When you step up to the plate, you're stepping up to a big dog. You're a puppy, I'm a big dog. There's a difference."
Mayer and Bidarian Warn Against Overlooking Current Tests
The looming prospect of Dubois vs Baumgardner depends entirely on immediate execution. MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian highlighted the risk of looking past decorated amateur Amelia Moore, citing recent upsets in the sport as cautionary tales for Dubois.
Mikaela Mayer, who dropped a tight split decision to Baumgardner in October 2022, also weighed in on the trajectory of the lightweight division during fight week preparations for Cameron vs Mayer. Mayer pointed to Turhan's finishing power as a genuine pivot point that could disrupt prospective super fights before contracts are drawn.
"Alycia's a good boxer, and she's strong, but her defense isn't perfect," Mayer noted. "If she gets caught with one of those shots from Turhan, that could change the whole trajectory, and we could be seeing Dubois versus Turhan."
For now, Dubois must dismantle Moore beneath the Birmingham lights before any cross-Atlantic structural clash with Baumgardner can materialize.
The white canvas beneath the ring tape carried the pale, chalky gray of worn stone under the heat.
