DuBois vs. Harper: Caroline DuBois over family rift and wants to mend relations with brother Daniel

To understand why Dubois felt he needed to find his voice, you have to look at how he started. Long before she became world champion, she was a nine-year-old girl pretending to be a boy named Colin.

In a world where there always seemed to be no future for female boxers, she tied her hair up in a headguard and lay in bed for months.

“I think it was obviously a reflection of the times, but the thing I find most hurtful is that they actually thought I was a boy. I mean, it’s devastating,” she quips. “But at that time, I was totally… enjoying it; I didn’t care.”

That “Mulan” spirit served her well. She spent several years hanging out in the gym, known only as “Daniel’s little sister”, but soon made her own reputation by winning Youth Olympic gold, European gold and qualifying for the Olympics at just 19 years old.

As both siblings were climbing the professional ranks, it was hailed as a family success story. But by the time Caroline became the WBC ‘interim’ champion by defeating Mayra Moneo in 2024, the relationship had turned sour.

Daniel was not there to witness the moment of his younger sister’s coronation. Meanwhile, Caroline was not at Wembley Stadium when Daniels delivered his career-defining knockout of Anthony Joshua, nor was she at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when he lost his belt to Oleksandr Usyk.

Distance has been a necessary means of self-preservation for Caroline.

“Since I’ve been out there, I haven’t been able to see him fight – in person or on TV,” she says.

“I don’t see her as a friend; I see her as a sister. It’s challenging if you’re not there to talk to her and check on her, then not go to her and either console her or pat her on the back. It’s very hard.”

BBC Sport has contacted representatives for Daniel Dubois, who did not wish to speak on behalf of his father, Dave Dubois. He previously said that the family “doesn’t always go as smoothly as you would like”.