Alycia Baumgardner laughed off suggestions she is scared of Caroline Dubois and insists the Londoner is not at her level yet amid talks of a potential showdown. The American WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring super featherweight champion was recently accused by Claressa Shields of swerving a fight with Dubois out of fear of suffering her second professional defeat. The stars, though, have flirted with alignment this week following the announcement of Baumgardner's world title fight against Elif Nur Turhan on November 8 and with Dubois scheduled to face Amelia Moore this Saturday, all arrows pointing towards a meeting between the respective winners.
"Claressa has always been jealous of me," Baumgardner told Sky Sports. "Because she's not the weight class that I am, making the biggest fights. "But I could never be scared of anybody.
You can't be scared when you do a sport like this." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Baumgardner previously alluded to a fight against Dubois as being premature for the 25-year-old, who defends her WBC and WBO lightweight world titles against Moore in the co-main event of MVPW-06 alongside Mikaela Mayer vs Chantelle Cameron this weekend. The former undisputed world champion is an admirer of her rival's mindset, but believes she is yet to earn her shot and position herself on the same level. "She does (still have to reach her level), but she's a hungry fighter and I'm all for her wanting to take a challenge," said Baumgardner.
"But when you step up to the plate, you're stepping up to a big dog. You're a puppy, I'm a big dog. I love that you're hungry." Baumgardner made her presence known in Birmingham this week as she surprised former rival Mayer with a question from the front row of Thursday's final press conference.
But had she asked Dubois a question, what might it have been? "What I would ask her is, why does she feel the need to ask other trainers that I've trained with how she beats me?," said Baumgardner. "Why not so confident in yourself?
If you're confident, you don't ask those types of questions. You're in the USA now, baby. That's my country." While the prospect of a Dubois fight looms, Baumgardner quashed the idea she could fall into the trap of looking beyond IBF lightweight champion Turhan, who is a perfect 14-0 with eight knockouts to her name.
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