How Can Katie Taylor Avenge Her Loss to Chantelle Cameron?
by Steve Ashfield | by Yunchu Li
Taylor Has to Get it Right This Time
After winning all of her first 22 professional fights, May 2023 saw Katie Taylor lose her unbeaten record. A challenge for the undisputed world super lightweight titles held by Chantelle Cameron ended in a points defeat. Now on Saturday November 25, it’s the rematch, can Taylor avenge the only loss of her professional career?
That fight in May was such an emotional one for Taylor, perhaps too emotional. The Irish boxer has reached legend status in her own country. So much in fact that a statue of her was recently unveiled.
After winning an Olympic gold medal and then world titles at two weights (including the one she’s fighting at this weekend), Taylor dreamt of just one momentous occasion. Taylor had never had a professional fight in Ireland but that all changed with her homecoming bout against Cameron at the 3Arena in Dublin.
Taylor currently holds four world lightweight belts but even those weren’t on the line in May and won’t be fought for this weekend either. More about that later in this news item.
The challenger did have to go up in weight for the first fight and that’s never easy to do so remember that if betting on boxing. However, Taylor is a former super lightweight world champion and never lost the title in the ring deciding to relinquish it to concentrate on her lightweight titles.
The 37-year-old Irishwoman is therefore in an enviable situation. Even if losing again to Cameron, Taylor will still have her lightweight title belts. Another loss would tarnish her record but there are still some big fights for her in the lightweight division. For example, a rematch with Amanda Serrano who Taylor famously beat at Madison Square Garden last year.
Taylor wants that rematch but is also determined to get her revenge on Cameron when facing her again at the 3Arena in Dublin. Just what does the challenger need to do to avenge that May defeat?
A Quicker Start is Needed
One key target for Taylor is to make sure she makes a better start than in the first fight. Cameron may have been fighting in front of a fanatic crowd cheering on their beloved Irish star but it was the defending champion who got off to a great start. Big punches were landed by the English boxer in round one giving her an early advantage.
That was how the fight progressed for the first half of the contest giving Cameron a good points lead. Taylor also had a few problems with her hair flowing a bit too loose and distracting her. Make sure it’s tied up properly on Saturday Katie!
The second half of the fight was a different story with Taylor getting on top but all her efforts were in vain. Cameron was given a majority points decision by the judges. Two of them gave the fight to the defending champion by a couple of points with the other calling the fight a draw.
It’s clear therefore that if Taylor had made a better start to the fight, the verdict would have gone to her rather than Cameron. Getting the advantage right from the first bell has to be Taylor’s target and if she manages that, then a new champion may well be crowned.
Cameron Determined to Repeat Victory
Chantelle Cameron wasn’t too happy before the first fight against Taylor. All the attention was on Taylor’s homecoming and little paid to her opponent. That was all a bit frustrating considering it was Cameron who was the defending champion. That anger was certainly shown when it came to the actual fight.
Now Cameron has to do it all over again and is back in Dublin. What is upsetting her this time is the fact again she’s having to defend her world super lightweight titles. The English boxer was all for dropping down in weight and this time challenging for the lightweight belts held by Taylor.
That wasn’t to be though and again Cameron is in the lion’s den and defending her titles. Just as in May, it’s her who has the most to lose from this fight.
This time though Cameron at least knows that she can beat her challenger. Who knows, if Taylor does get the win this time, we might be seeing a trilogy fight sometime in 2024.
Cameron is determined not for that to happen. Her target for next year is to move on from Taylor and seek world titles in other weights. A great fight lies ahead of us on Saturday and again it looks like being a hotly contested one but will we see a different result? Only time will tell.
