Katie Taylor took the mic and spoke defiantly after a career-best win in her Chantelle Cameron rematch, after which she described it as her real homecoming six months after a first defeat in-front of a raucous Dublin crowd: “Whoever doubted obviously doesn’t know me. The last fight was the worst of me, this was the real me and when I box this way, no-one can beat me.”
Taylor tops Cameron in triumphant rematch
95-95, 98-92, 96-94: Katie Taylor bt. Chantelle Cameron via majority decision
- Taylor avenges majority decision defeat six months later, by doing the same against now-former unbeaten Northampton champion Cameron after gruelling 20 minutes to headline Dublin’s 3Arena a second time – packed with momentum swings, big shots and contentious moments
- Result sees Irishwoman become third undisputed champion in two weight divisions after American duo Terence Crawford and Claressa Shields
- Her promoter Eddie Hearn calls it the single greatest night he’s experienced in the sport during ringside interview: “She’s one of the biggest legends to ever come out of this country, deserves everything, the greatest night in the history of her career, Croke Park has to happen next in the spring or summer… we’ll create an event you’ll never forget.”
This was a moment to savour. After six months packed with doubts, questions surrounding her future in the sport and whether she could regain her top form again, Katie Taylor – as always – promised to let her boxing do the talking for her.
So as a big crescendo fell and celebrations began after hearing the scorecards read out, the Irishwoman took the mic and spoke defiantly after a career-best win over Chantelle Cameron in their rematch, the second battle of two undisputed champions many didn’t foresee possible little over a year ago. A trilogy is already in the offing.
This was her real homecoming and the raucous Dublin crowd could savour every minute. “Whoever doubted obviously doesn’t know me. The last fight was the worst of me, this was the real me and when I box this way, no-one can beat me.”
Amid the electric atmosphere, you could be forgiven for thinking different during a frantic first round where Cameron should’ve had a knockdown scored – referee Roberto Ramirez Jr incorrectly ruled it a slip, despite multiple replays showing no tangle of the legs before Taylor fell to the canvas and swiftly regained her composure.
Taylor was pinged backwards by a stiff right hand 10 seconds earlier and it proved a timely reminder of the difference in their punch power, as much as the home favourite was happy matching Cameron with exchanges in the pocket.
In round two, Cameron was guilty of making her successful work untidy in the clinch, as Taylor countered her with single shots off the back foot and the official repeatedly separated them while dirty boxing made the first significant cameo – not the last.
Into the third, Taylor again boxing moving backwards as crowd noise swelled after the pair briefly exchanged in the pocket. The betting odds had flickered into Cameron’s favour after an encouraging start, but she was growing frustrated with the amount of holding Taylor initiated – those complaints fell on deaf ears.
The official called a timeout early in the fourth after spotting a nasty gash above Cameron’s left eye, one later shown to have been caused by an accidental head clash in the previous round, and that must’ve subconsciously spurred her into more activity as she pinned Taylor against the ropes, landing to the body and head.
In the fifth, Cameron began with pressure – Taylor replying with flurries and doing her best to keep it messy – as the 32-year-old’s outstretched arms in protest at the lightweight champion’s clinching had become a theme.
Cameron crunched a few body shots to start the sixth, throwing uppercuts too as Taylor traded punches up close and kept walking forward into danger, representing another two-minute stanza flying by as time wore on.
Lectured for holding early in the seventh, Cameron was a step slow to engage first and Taylor took advantage by connecting on cuffing shots as their messy exchanges continued, almost as if they were jostling for position.
Taylor unleashed the faster combos, Cameron the harder punches as round eight arrived finely poised despite partisan commentary having you believe differently.
The power punch stats said their own story: Cameron had landed 36 of 92 (39%), while Taylor was slightly less accurate but more busy by comparison (50 of 134, 37%).
When you have several close rounds where one big punch, or more output can often edge it on a judge’s scorecard, these are the things you look at.
Cameron wasn’t finding the target often enough to start the eighth, Taylor’s head movement and evasive actions seeing shots whiz wide of her in centre-ring before getting stung in the pocket. She did good work there with uppercuts too, and that pressure edged another competitive round for me.
My scorecard, round-by-round:
Cameron: R1, R4, R5, R6, R8, R10
Taylor: R2, R3, R7, R9
Taylor’s fast flurries were connecting clean in the ninth, making the most of Cameron loading up and missing by this stage, as the referee separating them without taking definitive action was a frustratingly frequent theme.
Cameron leading with her forearm upon occasion, Taylor clinching frequently and initiating head clashes made it a gruelling firefight being boxed at a furious pace.
Into the final round, Cameron appeared to briefly wobble her fellow champion with a powerful combo before more holding made this another tough stanza to score.
Ultimately again, I edged it to the defending champion but it’s easier to judge it clinically without rowdy Irish fans in your ear like the three ringside had to deal with.
Taylor was noticeably better than their first contest and a 6-4 scorecard either way, given how difficult it was to score some of their two-minute rounds, is acceptable.
It’s easy to forget a Serrano rematch was the initial plan for May before injury forced the Puerto Rican out, and she spoke well in the build-up about revisiting terms.
That remains a viable option after the electricity of their thrilling first fight, though Taylor must decide which division she wants to campaign at.
Whether Serrano 2 or a Cameron trilogy, especially if they can secure the 80,000-capacity Croke Park next, it’s a fitting reward for a champion still defying critics.
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes via DAZN broadcast
Mo and Sports 