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Chantelle Cameron Spoils Katie Taylor’s Homecoming With Decision Win

Written by Kerr Ferguson on 20th May 2023.

Katie Taylor vs Chantelle Cameron

It was heartbreak in Dublin for Katie Taylor as Chantelle Cameron retained her super lightweight undisputed title over the distance.

Ireland’s most loved sportsperson managed to stage the first major boxing event in the country for the best part of a decade, and it didn’t disappoint in terms of atmosphere or entertainment.

Taylor’s (22-0, 6 KOs) Hollywood script was written before the first bell. From pretending to be a boy to get sparring rounds in the gym all the way to relighting the boxing fire in the belly of a nation, her legacy was cemented no matter what happened over the course of these ten rounds in Dublin.

To her credit, she didn’t choose an easy fight. In fact, many believed it to be harder than the proposed rematch with Amanda Serrano. Cameron (17-0, 8 KOs) entered the ring at the very peak of her abilities and off the back of a statement win over Jessica McCaskill in Abu Dhabi. This was her seventh fight at 140lbs, and Taylor’s first. An amateur bout in 2011 that saw Taylor win has little relevance.

Both undefeated, both undisputed, with a crowd that has been thirsty for big-time boxing for a long while.

Cameron got on the front foot early, and had a good opening round of pressure built off the jab. Taylor had a chance to show her defensive movement and quick hands.

Taylor’s plan to catch Cameron coming in was clear, and she had some more success with it in the second. It got more scrappy in the third, Taylor getting through with some quick work but Cameron’s shots with much more behind them.

Cameron threatened to really take over at the start of the fourth, but Taylor landed some eye-catchers to disrupt her for a second or two. Cameron 3-1 at this stage, with Taylor way too willing to take one to land one against the bigger woman, who had a cracking left hook to the body and an uppercut to fall back on at will.

Taylor’s hair was out of its braids at the halfway stage – a clumsy metaphor for how the homecoming was going so far. She fired off some good combinations in the sixth that caused the pair to trade in the middle of the ring. Toe-to-toe, the women traded in a thrilling two minutes.

Cameron started the seventh with a big right hook. She looked fresher than Taylor, who landed a left hook that just bounced off the British fighter’s face and did nothing to deter her.

Taylor landed a few statement shots in the eighth, showing a bit of much-needed urgency. She was still too willing to stand on the ropes, but scored some combinations to likely nick the round.

Unfortunately for the hometown fans, it didn’t turn the tide, with Cameron coming out as willing as ever in the ninth. It was a round Taylor needed, and in many eyes won’t have taken. The tenth, as predicted, was a firefight until the final bell. Exhilarating action.

The threat of a skewed decision loomed, but thankfully never materialised. 95-95, 96-94, 96-94 Chantelle Cameron, and well-deserved too. Taylor mentioned a rematch after paying respect to the fans. Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed it.

A successful event in Ireland, but a sore first loss for boxing royalty in Taylor and a reminder of how unforgiving the sport can be.

Elsewhere on the card, lightweight Gary Cully was stunned by Mexican Jose Felix. The previously undefeated hometown boy whipped the crowd into a frenzy with his ring walk, but was dropped heavily in the third by Felix. The referee perhaps let it go on too long, too much punishment taken. The towel came in, and it was heartbreak for a seriously hurt Cully.

James Metcalf defeated Dennis Hogan over 12 to win the IBO World Super Welterweight title. Thomas Carty won the Celtic Heavyweight title by stopping Scotland’s Jay MacFarlane in the third and Caoimhin Agyarko shut out a game Grant Dennis over ten rounds to get his middleweight campaign underway.