Chantelle Cameron: The turning point

2020 has been one of the most surreal, unsettling and bizarre years in recent human history.

The Covid-19 pandemic has wrought havoc to our everyday lives and to our leisure pursuits. The traditional sporting calendar and landscape has been turned upside down and phrases such as “social distancing” have rapidly become part of our everyday lexicon.

Yet in years to come, this strangest of years may be remembered – in a pugilistic sense – as a watershed for female boxing, with a succession of big fights being brokered and attracting welcome column inches.

2020 has also represented an individual turning point for Chantelle Cameron, the richly talented and exciting Northampton pugilist who has finally – after years being hailed as the next big thing – acceded to world title status.

Still on a high from her wide points victory against Adriana dos Santos Araujo in early October, the WBC super-lightweight ruler spoke candidly to Boxing Social about the dramas – both global and personal – that she has experienced in the last couple of years.

The 28-year-old began by reflecting on the boom the fast developing female fight scene is currently enjoying. “Women’s boxing is really growing at the moment and it’s just going to get better and better,” she said. “It’s exciting times.”

Exciting times yes, but also uncertain times, as Cameron alluded to when speaking about the pre-fight nerves she suffered in the lead-up to her first world title fight – nerves that were undoubtedly exacerbated by the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.

“It was nerve-wracking,” she admitted. “There was a lot on my plate. As soon as I got into the bubble it really hit me. I thought: ‘Bloody hell it’s actually going to happen. I’m fighting for the world title’.

“But then you have to wait for your coronavirus test results. I was really nervous waiting because you could have it even if you’ve got no symptoms. There were so many nerves floating about. In that bubble you’re near to your opponent and everyone else the whole time.

“It was obvious she [Dos Santos Araujo] was much heavier than me so that was a concern as well. Everyone was expecting me to win, but I was thinking to myself, she’s a lot heavier than me, I’ve not ever boxed on Sky and I haven’t boxed in a year. I wished I’d had a warm-up fight really but it was a world title fight so I had to take it.”

Turning her attention to the fight itself, Cameron radiated endearing, almost childlike, delight when describing her performance.

“I would have loved to get a stoppage – that would have been the icing on the cake – but I don’t think that was ever going to happen. Whatever I threw, whatever I landed, she was just so tough and she was a lot bigger than me.

“My shots were just rebounding off her. It was like a strange dream where you’re hitting someone over and over again and your shots aren’t doing any damage! So that was a bit annoying, but at the same time it was a blessing because it gave people the chance to see 10 rounds of me boxing and putting on a performance.

“I think I showed people that I can box. That I’m not just a brawler who comes forward and throws punches, I can move my feet, box a bit and mix it up. I think I’ve shown people I’m a high level boxer.”

The immediate days and weeks after her world title triumph were – Cameron admits – a whirlwind.

“The first week after the fight was a massive celebration week,” she laughed. “I was on a massive high. The following week I came down a bit and felt exhausted! But it’s all been good.

“After the fight my mum sent me around to all sorts of neighbours’ houses and to the butchers to get free meat – it drove me mad! I was like: ‘Mum calm down!’ It was quite funny really. She and my family are very proud.

“I’m the first boxer from Northampton to ever win a world title. That’s a great achievement in itself. And especially being female as well – who would have thought the first boxer from the town to win a world title would be a woman, right?”

This Cameron – ebullient, good humoured, effusive – forms a stark contrast to the somewhat haunted and frustrated figure the boxer cut in February of last year.

Back then she had just split from trainer Shane McGuigan and his father Barry’s Cyclone Promotions and was considering walking away from boxing all together.

“I felt so much pressure it was eating me up. I wasn’t performing because I wasn’t happy. I felt rubbish. My heart wasn’t in it. My mum and my dad said to me: ‘You need to pack this in now or you’re going to get hurt. What’s the point doing it if you don’t love it any more?’

“I was going to leave the sport but then I linked up with [trainer] Jamie [Moore] and [coach] Nige [Travis] and it felt like the sun had come out and I’d been recharged. Now I miss not being in camp whereas before I’d hate going into camp and felt so anxious about it that I’d be miserable for a couple of weeks. That new feeling shows when I box now, you can tell I’m confident, although I’m not cocky. I’ve got the love back for boxing. It’s not just a job for me any more.”

With the female fight scene fast evolving, there are plenty of potential fights for Cameron at or around super-lightweight.

She even admits she would move down in weight for certain fights. “I can make super-featherweight, but I’d have to make it safely and to do that I’d want a proper 16-week camp to make sure I did the weight properly because it would be a struggle. Super-featherweight’s not an ideal weight for me but I could make it for the right fight.

“Obviously, lightweight and super-lightweight are no problem and I’d fight at welterweight as well. I’d be strong at welterweight. I’d love the Jessica McCaskill fight. I was preparing to fight her at super-lightweight but she moved up [to fight Cecilia Braekhus]. She’s someone I really want to box. Jessica and my styles would make a great fight. I think I’d beat her. She’s a big puncher but I’ve shown I’ve got a good chin on me and I’ve got heart as well. I’d have it out with her. I think my boxing IQ is better than hers.

“I’d also love to fight Cecilia. She’s an absolute legend. You have to respect her. She’s laid out so much of the path for women’s boxing so to actually fight her would be a privilege, an honour.”

A match-up with Irish icon Katie Taylor has long been talked about and it remains the fight Cameron (13-0, 7 KOs) wants above all others.

“Watching Katie’s last two fights against Delfine [Persoon] has convinced me I can beat her. I punch harder than Delfine, I’ve got a good work-rate and I can box. I keep saying that because everyone used to think I was just a come-forward fighter who bullied people around but when it comes to it I can box as well. Katie would struggle with me.

“I’d love to fight Delfine, too. She’s very tough, very, very tough. It would be a hard fight, but if we fought I’d put on a better performance than Katie to make sure people wanted to see the Katie fight. There’d be a bit of extra motivation for me there.”

There is one opponent, though, who Cameron admits she can’t ever see herself fighting – her close friend Natasha Jonas.

“I wouldn’t want to fight Tasha,” she admitted. “I know her well. I’ve said it to Tasha and to Jamie and Nige, too – it’s a fight I wouldn’t want. It’s not about avoiding anyone but we know each other so well from Team GB.

“It would have to be very, very good money to fight Tasha! I class her as a friend. It’s hard to motivate myself to want to punch someone’s head in when they’re a friend. I just don’t think I’d be able to perform. I couldn’t go in there wanting to be savage. It would ruin my game plan so I wouldn’t take the fight.”

Main image: MTK Global.