Women’s featherweight contender Caroline Veyre has Tiara Brown in her sights, and she isn’t willing to break her gaze.
Veyre won a 10-round unanimous decision over Licia Boudersain in July to make her the No. 1 contender for the WBC featherweight title. It was announced on Wednesday that Brown will make her first defense of her WBC title on September 20 against a yet-to-be-named opponent.
Veyre, 10-1, a 2020 Olympian, is now looking to land the biggest fight of her career. BoxingScene obtained a document dated August 3 ordering the two parties to negotiate a fight by August 28, after which point the bout would immediately head to a purse bid.
“I don’t know why they don’t want to fight or negotiate,” Katia Banel, Veyre’s manager, said. “Last year Tiara was in the same shoes as Caroline is right now.”
Banel was referencing Brown, 19-0 (11 KOs), becoming the WBC mandatory challenger for Skye Nicolson. Brown took to social media and began calling for the fight with Nicolson, but she had to wait, as Nicolson had made a voluntary defense against Raven Chapman. Brown then traveled to Australia in March and defeated Nicolson to become the titleholder.
“I am willing to fight her tomorrow,” Veyre, 36, told BoxingScene. “I believe I am the world’s best featherweight, and I have done everything to prove it.”
BoxingScene reached out to Brian Cohen, the manager of Brown, 37, who shared Brown’s side of the story.
“The sport is a business, and it is very difficult when you deal with people who don’t understand the business,” Cohen told BoxingScene. “We are not scared to fight her, but we are not going to be pressured into a fight.”
Cohen explained that something big is in the works for Brown and weighed in on the mandatory title defense that was announced a little over a week after Veyre’s July victory.
“For the WBC to issue a letter for a title defense was kind of insulting,” Cohen said. “Tiara should be afforded a voluntary defense.”
Dmitriy Salita, Veyre’s promoter, gave his side.
“Despite receiving official notice to face her mandatory challenger, Tiara immediately requested a voluntary defense instead,” Salita told BoxingScene. “To me, that signals an effort to avoid a great, competitive fight. Her promoter even refused to enter negotiations.
“I have tremendous respect for Tiara. She proved her quality by traveling overseas and beating Skye Nicolson in Australia. Now Caroline is the challenger, and she is the superior fighter. I fully expect the WBC to enforce its rules and that this fight will take place later this year or early next year.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
