Dubois drops & outclasses Panatta to retain WBC title

Camilla Panatta and Caroline Dubois won the WBC lightweight title in Miami after giving a strong performance on her American debut.

At the Kaseya Center, the 24-year-old Londoner boxed with patience and control, displaying her superior speed, timing, and ring intelligence.

Before going on to win the 10-round contest by unanimous decision, Dubois dropped Panatta with a beautifully timed counter in the sixth round.

It was 90-99 to all three judges.

Dubois gave herself a B because she felt like she could have done more, perhaps harshly in her own opinion.

Dubois was competing under Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight match against Jake Paul for the first time under new promoters Most Valuable Promotions.

Dubois and Dubois fought early in the morning in front of the 20, 000-seat Kaseya Center, which is home to the Miami Heat.

She sang along to Whitney Houston’s “I’m Every Woman” as she entered the ring, stroking Panatta repeatedly and moving in and out of range.

As the class gap narrowed more quickly and consistently in the third round, a straight left from the champion’s southpaw stance landed cleanly and frequently.

As Dubois advanced, his stablemate and former world champion cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith yelled, “Lovely, Caroline, keep going.”

In the fifth and sixth rounds, Dubois whipped a body shot into Panatta’s midriff, each of which received cheers from the crowd.

Moments later, the knockdown occurred. Dubois slipped the shot and fired a perfectly timed counter to the chin as Panatta dipped to attack the body.

Panatta, 34, slammed into a heap to the canvas.

Her brief grin did little to conceal the punch’s impact, despite her quick rise and shaken appearance.

Panatta was able to hear the bell with little time remaining in the round.

Dubois intensified her work in the final stages, varying her approach with a mix of jabs and uppercuts, while a marked-up Panatta had few options as the champion comfortably rolled into the final rounds.

Dubois’ promotion to MVP might have a significant impact on how quickly her career and reputation grow.

After Dubois’ progress threatened to slow down, the promotional team, led by Paul and CEO Nakisa Bidarian, has made significant investments in women’s boxing.

At Wednesday’s news conference, she and American super-fighting champion Alycia Baumgardner exchanged words during a potential future fight that would be very interesting.

Dubois described Baumgardner as “not next, but definitely down the line.”

A WBO champion and also signed to be the champion would seem like a good next move to take in a fight between Terri Harper of Doncaster and the unthinkable winner.