LONDON – Caroline Dubois unified the WBO and WBC lightweight titles on Sunday when she recorded her biggest victory over Terri Harper. 

The all-English world-title fight between one of the world’s most experienced titlists, Harper, and one of the world’s most promising, Dubois, showed above all else that the exciting Dubois is continuing to improve.

She earned scores of 98-91, 97-92 and 98-91 at the Olympia, where she dropped her rival in the sixth round and largely resisted taking punishment until the competitive final round.

It took until the fourth round for both fighters to truly find their range. Harper, 29, had the advantage in both height and reach and Dubois the superior movement and mobility but, while Harper was ultimately tentative, Dubois’ initial struggles with her size continued into the second when she fell short with a left hand to the body.

She had more success when in the third she jabbed to the chest and lunged and landed a left to the body. 

It was when Harper swung and fell short with a wild left in the fourth that Dubois countered with a right hand from close range. A right hand followed from Harper, complemented by a right to the body; Dubois’ speed then allowed her to close the distance between them to land a left, duck successive punches, and then land a right-left.

A perfectly timed left hand to the chin dropped Harper, who upon returning to her feet was goaded by Dubois, before perhaps being saved by the bell sounding to end the sixth.

The referee Victor Loughlin told Dubois off at the start of the seventh when the same goading continued – she had long targeted a fight with Harper and then sought to intimidate her while their fight build-up took place – and she responded by succeeding to the body and then with her jab and a left hand.

Harper – perhaps intimidated – became more hesitant but was falling further behind and was punished again when Dubois again used her speed to land a right hand before moving out of reach of a left.

The defending WBO champion was tested again and staggered by a left hand in the eighth, after which Dubois hurt her again with another left. A cut opened and blood started to run from by her left eye, and then Harper took a right to the body as they traded by the ropes.

Harper, no doubt aware that she was on course for defeat, fought with increased aggression in the 10th and succeeded with both lefts and rights from close range and hurt Dubois, who instead of covering up chose to fight back. A well-timed right to the chin then landed from Dubois and was followed by another right, before she stepped to the side to reset and gradually land another hurtful left hand. When Harper again sought to fight back she made too little of an impression. 

She has had a fine career but her third defeat may prove one from which she struggles to recover.