Sweet Caroline defends WBC title in Sheffield

Caroline Dubois - sister of IBF world heavyweight kingpin Daniel - has this week been upgraded to WBC lightweight champion after Katie Taylor opted to vacate the belt.

'Sweet Caroline' already held the interim championship, but now can defend the full WBC belt against Canada's Jessica Camara in Sheffield's Park Community arena, on January 11.

She will share the limelight with Barnsley's British and Commonwealth champion - he also defends his super middleweight belts against Steed Woodall on the Boxxer card.

In her last ten-round fight, against Uruguay's Maira Moneo, she shared the platform with Simpson at Oakwell football stadium in a night to remember.

No other fights have been announced yet for the Sheffield card, but the top two are an obvious attraction and will guarantee a sell-out crowd for promoter Benjamin Shalom and a decent TV audience on Sky TV.

Dubois, aged 23, had wanted to face Taylor, but lightweight is no longer the chosen path for the Irish woman.

"It's always been my dream to become world champion and this is just the start of the journey for me," said Dubois.

"I look forward to defending my WBC world title on 11th of January in Sheffield."

Shalom believes she will remain WBC champion for years.

"We are only just starting to see Caroline's true potential. We believe she will become the future face of women's boxing," he said.

Certainly, the southpaw's amateur pedigree pointed towards a successful professional career, she was a Youth Olympic champion, World Youth champion, and four-times European Youth champion.

She is currently on a ten-fight winning streak in the pro game.

Camara has won 14 bouts but has been defeated on four occasions.

This week's WBC upgrade is familiar territory to the Dubois family, which features 11 siblings.

Brother Daniel, 27, was upgraded to IBF heavyweight champion in June after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt.

Daniel stopped Anthony Joshua in five rounds at Wembley Stadium in September, in one of the shows of the year.

He fights New Zealand's Joseph Parker in Riyadh in February, defending his IBF belt.