Nakisa Bidarian, a partner at Most Valuable Promotions, believes Caroline Dubois possesses everything required to step into the void left by Katie Taylor as one of women's boxing biggest attractions.
Taylor, Ireland's undisputed super-lightweight world champion, turned 40 in July and is preparing for what is billed as her farewell bout as a professional. She takes on Flora Pili in Dublin on September 5 in an undisputed world super-lightweight title fight.
Seven days before that, lightweight world champion Dubois will look to protect her unbeaten record when she puts her WBC and WBO belts on the line against American Amelia Moore. That fight is scheduled to appear live on Sky Sports, sitting on the undercard beneath Chantelle Cameron's showdown with Mikaela Mayer.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Bidarian explained why he views the current crop of fighters, and Dubois in particular, as more than capable of carrying the sport forward.
"For me, the poster fighters of the sport have been Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor, the two of them have been real trailblazers."
"It's sad to see that arc transition in September for Katie, I think Amanda probably has one more fight left after August 21."
"But women's boxing has never been stronger. It's a young sport, it became an Olympic sport in 2012 where Katie was the beneficiary, and she's created a storied career for herself."
"But we feel good about the future of this sport we feel like we have a roster of athletes. Caroline Dubois is one who I think has the ingredients of Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, Laila Ali, Christy Martin and Ronda Rousey all there."
"Of course, the sport's going to miss Katie, of course the ring is going to miss Amanda, but the sport is in a great place."
Bidarian's admiration for Dubois is not new. He had previously described her as the "ideal final opponent" for Taylor, suggesting a Dubois-Taylor clash would represent the "right swansong event" for the Irish fighter, ideally staged at Croke Park, according to Sky Sports. Promoter Ben Shalom has gone further still in the past, tipping Dubois to become the "next face of women's boxing" in an earlier profile carried by the BBC.
Dubois herself, however, has played down the significance of a meeting with Taylor. She has previously stated that she is "not too hung up" on chasing that particular fight, insisting it would not trouble her if the two never shared a ring, as reported by Sky Sports.
How Taylor's title moves shaped Dubois' path
Taylor had already vacated her lightweight belt before Dubois was elevated to WBC lightweight champion, effectively handing Dubois one of the titles Taylor once held, according to the BBC. Separately, the IBF mandated Dubois to face Rhiannon Dixon after Taylor vacated that belt too, a further illustration of how Taylor's decisions at 135 pounds reshaped the picture around Dubois, per Sky Sports. Dubois has also spoken of her broader ambition to unify all the belts at lightweight before eventually moving up in weight, part of the reasoning behind persistent talk of a future meeting with Taylor, according to Ring Magazine.
Salita: Shields is 'definitively No 1'
Elsewhere in the division, promoter Dmitry Salita insists there is no ambiguity about who currently sits atop women's boxing. Undisputed heavyweight champion Claressa Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medallist who has been undisputed champion in three weight classes as a professional and has won all 18 of her fights, is that fighter, according to Salita.
Asked about Shields' standing in the sport as Taylor's career winds down, Salita told Sky Sports earlier this year:
"Katie Taylor is a historic figure in boxing, and I've said many times - personally and professionally - that I'm a fan of hers and what she has done for the sport."
"That said, Claressa Shields is definitively the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in women's boxing today."
"What separates Claressa is not just what she's accomplished in the ring which already stands on its own but the totality of her impact."
"There is something more to being a bona fide superstar than simply being elite in the ring. There's an 'it' factor. The ability to headline, to sell out arenas, to create moments, to carry events regardless of the opponent - and Claressa has that."
"She may be the first woman in the history of the sport consistently selling out major arenas regardless of opponent."
Could Shields and Price finally meet?
Shields, 31, is moving back down from heavyweight in pursuit of a second reign as middleweight world champion, with a fight against Australian Kaye Scott set for Atlanta this weekend.
That contest is being viewed as a potential stepping stone toward a huge showdown with Britain's Lauren Price, who currently holds three of the four welterweight belts.
Negotiations for a Shields-Price fight at middleweight have already taken place, and although talks have hit a snag, Salita remains hopeful the fight will eventually be made.
"When Claressa went to Wales, we believed we had the framework of a deal in place, and we're still operating in that spirit."
"I believe we're close. Claressa is moving down to 160 pounds because she wants to make this fight happen. She's already accomplished so much, but she's always looking for the biggest global fights."
"Lauren is an outstanding fighter and an Olympic gold medallist. This is one of the biggest fights that can be made in women's boxing, and we're confident it will happen."
"Claressa has always done her part to make the biggest fights possible, and this is no different. We're ready to continue the discussions."
The Cameron-Mayer rivalry that will host Dubois on the undercard has been building for some time, with the pair's first press conference already stoking tensions ahead of the August 29 date in Birmingham, according to our earlier coverage of the press conference build-up.
What happens next
Dubois is next scheduled to defend her WBC and WBO lightweight titles against Amelia Moore on the Cameron-Mayer undercard. The original event listing places the card on August 29, though Sky Sports has separately reported the date as August 30, 2026, so both dates are worth noting until confirmed, according to Sky Sports.
Taylor's stated final professional appearance comes against Flora Pili in Dublin on September 5, 2026, in what is expected to be an emotional send-off for one of the sport's most influential figures, per the same Sky Sports report.
Fans can watch MVPW-06 in Birmingham, headlined by Mikaela Mayer against Chantelle Cameron and featuring Caroline Dubois on the undercard, live on Sky Sports. Sky Sports subscriptions or no-contract streaming options are available for those wanting to follow the action.
