The first press conference of the Sky Sports and Most Valuable Promotions era took place in London this morning, with several bill-toppers present to talk about the London show on April 5.
In the bill-topper at London’s Olympia, Caroline Dubois and Terri Harper exchanged words.
Dubois, 12-0-1 (5 KOs), and trained by Shane McGuigan said: “It represents the start. I’m very excited to be headlining. This is amazing for me I can’t wait. I believe I’m going all the way and it starts with Terri.”
The feud with Harper has been bubbling for years.
Dubois holds the WBC championship and Harper has the WBO belt.
“I called her irrelevant because I believe she is,” said Dubois. “My legacy starts with me becoming undisputed. Unfortunately for Terri, she’s the one holding the belt. If it was anyone, it wouldn’t matter. My energy would be the same.”
Harper said she felt like Dubois was looking beyond her and interestingly that she had regretted moving all the way up to super welterweight for fights.
“She’s doing a great job selling the fight, doing my work for me,” said Harper. “So I’m being my authentic self. I’m here, enjoying the moment. It’s a great opportunity. I’m focused on what I need to do… I’m excited to cause the upset. This isn’t about the belts. I just want to beat Caroline.”
Also on the bill, 11-0 Ellie Scotney plans to add the WBA super bantamweight title of Mexican Mayelli Flores Rosquero, who is 13-1-1 (4 KOs), to her WBC, IBF and WBO championships.
Scotney vowed to become undisputed champion and said, “Everything’s aligned at this moment.”
Scotney, a woman of faith, said that even though the show is on Easter Sunday, she will still be going to church on fight day and her pastor will be going to the Olympia to watch.
“I’ll be walking out as undisputed world champion,” said Scotney, 27.
Also on the bill, Chantelle Cameron, 21-1 (8 KOs), will face 11-0-2 (4 KOs) Michaela Kostakova, a Czech fighting out of Austria, for the vacant WBO title at super welterweight. Cameron spoke of being reunited with trainer Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis and said of moving up to 154lbs, “It wasn’t in the plan, but everything’s worked out perfectly…. It’s been a bit of a slow two years but I’m going to come back belt collecting this year.”
She has had spells training with Stephen Smith and Grant Smith, and said she had no regrets leaving but that she was delighted to be back with Moore and Travis.
Newark, Nottinghamshire’s Emma Dolan, who challenges Irma Garcia for the IBF super flyweight title, said: “For me being here, with all these champions, I’m buzzing to be here. I’m gonna be world champion on April 5. It’s crazy but I’m here for it.”
Asked how she would cope under the spotlight, on the biggest stage of his career to date, Dolan – 8-0 (1 KO) – said: “I’ll thrive. I thrive under pressure. It doesn’t bother me. I’ll fight anywhere anytime and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Flores Rosquero, Kostakova and Garcia were not present and as things stand, the show is the only fight MVP and Sky Sports have, but it appears likely a longer-term agreement is likely.
