England's Chantelle Cameron beats Katie Taylor to retain light-welterweight title in Dublin
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Updated 21/05/2023 at 11:00 GMT
Chantelle Cameron is still the undisputed light-welterweight champion after winning a majority decision against Katie Taylor. A disappointed home crowd in Dublin were given a boost in the aftermath when promoter Eddie Hearn revealed that there will be a rematch later this year, again in Dublin. Cameron was not happy with her treatment by the organisers and wants changes before the next bout.
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Chantelle Cameron retained her light-welterweight champion status with a split points decision victory over Irish fighter Katie Taylor in Dublin.
In a highly anticipated bout, Cameron handed Taylor her first professional defeat.
Taking place at the 3Arena in Dublin, the fight was heralded as Taylor's long-awaited homecoming.
However, the relentless pace of the contest showcased Cameron's class, as she outperformed Taylor to secure the majority decision.
Cameron took the fight to Taylor from the opening bell, opting for an aggressive approach and showing her determination to dominate.
Facing a partisan crowd, Cameron remained on the front foot and pressed forward. In the early rounds, Taylor showed speed and timing, countering Cameron's aggression. The back-and-forth exchanges kept the crowd involved, but Cameron began to take over as she claimed the third round.
The key moments came in the fourth and fifth rounds, where Cameron unleashed powerful shots that left Taylor struggling to respond. The English fighter's dominance was evident as Taylor's braids began to come undone, an unfortunate distraction for the remainder of the fight.
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Taylor refused to give in, pushing back valiantly in the sixth round, but Cameron remained composed.
In the seventh, Cameron delivered a blow that really landed, a thudding right hand that clearly slowed Taylor.
The hometown hero fought on in the eighth round, giving hope of a comeback for the passionate fans.
But Cameron was not to be overcome in the final two rounds.
The pace of the fight kept things tense, but when the judges' decision was announced, it confirmed Cameron's expected victory with two scores of 96-94 in her favour. The third judge called it a 95-95 draw.
After her victory was confirmed, Cameron admitted that she feared the boisterous home crowd might sway the judges.
"I was petrified [of a bad decision]. I've seen it before in boxing and it's happened to my team before."
But she had kind words for her vanquished opponent, saying: "She's so fast, she's rapid, she's tough - she's one of the greatest female boxers there is."
Cameron's extended her winning streak with an 18th consecutive victory.
Taylor, despite defeat, remains the undisputed lightweight champion.
The Irish fighter was disappointed: "It's not how I wanted my homecoming to go. I'm just so grateful for the support regardless. Congratulations to Chantelle on a fantastic performance, thanks so much for the opportunity to fight for your belts, and looking forward to the rematch."
After the fight Cameron insisted that she expects to be treated as the champion in the rematch which was confirmed by promoter Eddie Hearn in the aftermath.
She said: "I need to speak to my team because everything was in Katie's favour in this fight."
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