IBF, WBO, WBC, IBO & WBO World light-welterweight title: Katie Taylor (22-0) v Chantelle Cameron (17-0) (Saturday, 3Arena, live on DAZN, 10pm)
TICK-TOCK, the seconds will seem like minutes for these fighters until the ring finally clears and referee Sparkle Lee slices the Dublin air with her hand and barks “BOX”.
Then watch the action explode.
Katie Taylor, the fighting pride of this island, on home soil for the first time in her professional career against Chantelle Cameron, the woman who admires and respects her and who would like nothing more than to knock her out in front of her adoring fans.
A warrior to the core, Taylor will expect Cameron to come out blazing and she won’t be disappointed because this Englishwoman will throw everything she has at her in a meeting of two unbeaten, undisputed world champions, which surely can’t produce anything other than a classic.
Carl Frampton joked recently that Taylor could have fought his mother and still sold out the 3Arena.
She could have but she’s not driven by ticket sales, packed houses or pats on the back. Katie Taylor is a hunter always on the lookout for the next target, the next challenge. Always pushing further, climbing higher. Maybe one night she’ll find out that her peak is behind her and she has climbed too high. She’s 36 now so will tonight be that night?
Cameron hopes so.
Taylor has two Olympic gold medals, Cameron got close but never made it to the Olympic Games and that hurt. Turning pro was never part of her gameplan but, with Taylor blazing the trail for women’s boxing, she jumped on the train and now she’s in Dublin to defend her armful of belts as the undisputed light-welterweight champion.
She visited the 3Arena for a look around this week and said the place gave her goosebumps.
“I was thinking: ‘Wow, to be in this position that I’m in, starting where I’ve started, the whole journey, the ups and downs...’” said ‘El Capo’.
“Then to be headlining with Katie Taylor on her homecoming, it’s crazy how everything has just fallen into place. And it’s not just because it’s Katie’s homecoming, I’m glad to be part of it as well because it is history-making.”
Taylor’s original target was a rematch with Amanda Serrano and when it fell through because of an injury to the Puerto Rican, she called out Cameron who immediately accepted the invitation. The Englishwoman is the defending champion here but, in a break with boxing protocol, she will go to the ring first and her name will be announced to the crowd first.
None of that mattered to Cameron and that’s an indication of her eagerness to take on Taylor and spoil her homecoming party.
“This fight is bigger than becoming undisputed world champion,” she said.
“Anyone in this division, or round about this division, has always wanted to fight Katie Taylor because she’s the pound-for-pound best and if you’re in boxing you want to challenge the best as well, especially if you’re a champion.
“You’ve got to set yourself them sort of goals and try achieve your own greatness. I’ve always wanted this fight and I didn’t think it would happen. I’m here now. It will definitely be hostile but it’s going to be tunnel vision and I’ll be focused on the job at hand. I’ll let everything else go above my head, I’ve got one job to do and that is to win.”
Taylor has the same job to do. She has been pushed to the limit in the past and, although she has boxed at this weight before, she is moving up to light-welterweight which means handing a slight physical advantage to Cameron.
Cameron had a tough fight against Mary McGee and another in the later rounds against Jessica McCaskill but she hasn’t been in the trenches like Taylor has. She’s younger and should be fresher.
Taylor, four years’ older, has had to dig deep against Natasha Jonas, Delfine Persoon (their first meeting) and most recently Serrano. All three of those fights were close but Taylor was a deserving winner each time.
There have been other gruelling rumbles too for the Bray warrior and the question is: What have they taken out of her? What will be there when she has to dig deep again and she will because Cameron, in the fight of her life, will be relentless and can hit.
“I know it’s the obviously the biggest fight of her career as well, but I am just focusing on what I need to get a win,” said Taylor.
“This could be the biggest night of my career so far, the best night of my career so far and I can’t wait to get in there at this stage.”
Happy endings in sport are few and far between and there will be no room for sympathy or sentimentality in the ring tonight.
Taylor always finds a way to win. There’s nothing that Cameron can bring that she won’t have seen before. She’s been to the well – as an amateur and a professional – and she has been able to adjust and have her hand raised.
A terrific fight is in store. Taylor, on home soil, will go to war and Cameron will meet her in the centre of the ring. Over 10 two-minute rounds, it’s hard to see a knockout winner. Cameron will have her moments but Taylor, with the home crowd roaring her on when the going gets tough, will have enough to win one for the ages.
Tactical Take
Katie Taylor
BATTLE-HARDENED and resourceful, Taylor has been there and done it all. This is her 14th world title fight in-a-row and she’s been in with the best and beaten them all.
She’s stepping up in weight but how big an issue will that be? Against Amanda Serrano, Taylor had the physical advantages and when she had to mix it she had the advantage. This time Cameron has the physical edge so it’s up to Taylor to use her superior boxing ability and keep the Englishwoman at bay.
Taylor has a tendency to want to counterattack when she gets hit. Cameron will catch her at some stage – the earlier the better from her point of view – and if that shot flicks the Taylor switch, then a war will break out.
Taylor will need to use her boxing brain and nimble feet to control the distance and keep the Englishwoman at range. She will pick her moments and fight when Cameron wants to box then box when Cameron wants to fight.
Chantelle Cameron
SHE is naturally bigger, she is younger and almost half of her 17 wins have come by stoppage. But Cameron isn’t a slugger, she can box brilliantly on the back foot and she attacks with good footwork behind a solid jab.
She will throw absolutely everything she has at this and a good start is crucial for her. If she can get her nose in front and start to dictate the pace she’ll make Taylor come to her. If she can sap the energy from Taylor’s legs she will be confident that her strength, stamina, workrate and power will be increasing factors the longer the fight goes on. Can she force a stoppage? She’ll give all she can to do so and she’ll need to drop Taylor at least once to get the nod on the scorecards.
Sparring Paddy Barnes
THE mural on the wall at Antrim ABC shows Katie Taylor on the left and Carl Frampton on the right.
“I didn’t actually realise that,” said Taylor when she was asked if she was aware of it this week.
“That’s really cool, it’s amazing - I didn’t actually know that. Does it look OK?”
Of course it does. Taylor was no stranger to Belfast back in her amateur days when she headed North for regular sparring sessions.
“I went up a few times to spar Paddy,” she said.
“I was up there a few times sparring Carl and I was up there a fair few times for training camp. Obviously it’s a place full of boxing history and it’s great seeing all the murals of all the fighters up there, it’s a great place.”
Did she think of bringing Paddy Barnes in for her training camp?
“He’s probably out of shape at the moment, maybe!” she answered.
The officials
FORMER NYPD officer Sparkle Lee is the referee for the main event at the 3Arena. Lee took charge of Taylor’s first fight against Belgian Delfine Persoon at Madison Square Garden in 2019 (a majority decision win for the Irishwoman) and for her points win against Victoria Noelia Bustos a year previously.
Vastly-experienced, Lee took charge of Claressa Shields’s rumble with Christina Hammer. The judges are Craig Metcalfe (Canada), Raul Caiz and Patrick Morley (both USA).
The Cameron camp have claimed that Taylor was fortunate to get the verdict in three previous fights. Jamie Moore, Cameron’s trainer, was on the wrong end of a poor decision when his fighter Jack Catteral fought Josh Taylor in Glasgow last year.
No-one wants another controversial decision tonight, least of all Katie Taylor.
The undercard
Middleweight: Caoimhin Agyarko (12-0) v Grant Dennis (18-4)
FOUR years of living above a London pub was enough for Caoimhin Agyarko who decided to say goodbye to England’s capital and relocate to Liverpool.
He felt he was getting stale with his former trainers and, after recovering from surgery on a hand injury, says the move to the Rotunda Gym has revitalised his career.
“It’s great to be back,” said the west Belfast native who takes on experienced Grant Dennis at the 3Arena.
“The hands are good so I’ve no complaints.”
Agyarko has fought just once since he appeared on the undercard of Michael Conlan versus Leigh Wood in Nottingham in March last year. Injuries were a major issue in that and, now he’s fully fit, ‘Black Thunder’ intends to make up for lost time.
“I snapped a ligament in my thumb and had a fracture in my index finger in that fight in Nottingham,” he explained.
“I fought injured in July and then I had to pull out of a fight in October and get surgery so that’s the reason I’ve been inactive.”
He explained that he wasn’t happy in London and felt that he need more one-to-one attention. He says he’s getting that on Merseyside with coaches Declan O’Rourke and Joe McNally.
“The coaching I was getting was great but it’s a very busy gym,” he said.
“Some of my performances, people were critical of me and I know the reason why was because I was injured but fans don’t see that. Even at that, I thought some of my performances were a bit stale and I felt I needed a change.
“London is very tough to train in – it’s very busy and very expensive. I like Liverpool, it’s very similar to Belfast and I feel at home there.
“I’m getting the attention I need to progress on to the next level. Dec and Joe are two brilliant coaches and they understand my style and I understand the way they want to add to me. We have a great understanding of each other and I believe in their methods. The training is a lot harder and some days I might moan but I know it benefits me and I couldn’t be happier.”
IBO World Super-welterweight title: Dennis Hogan (31-4-1) v James Metcalf (24-2)
IT’S a home debut for 36-fight veteran Hogan as well tonight. Based in Australia for most of his career, the Kildare native defends the title he won against Sam Eggington against Metcalf tonight.
‘Kid Shamrock’ (Metcalf) has recovered from back-to-back losses and can expect a sustained barrage from Hogan tonight.
Lightweight: Gary Cully (16-0) v Jose Felix (39-6-1)
A SUPERSTAR in the making, Pete Taylor-trained Cully is long and lean and brilliantly gifted. Hard to pin down, he has power in both hands and goes in against Mexican Felix with three consecutive stoppage wins under his belt.
Felix lost to Tyrone McKenna in Falls Park in 2021 and returns to the Emerald Isle after two defeats. Cully will make it three in-a-row.
WBA World Super-welterweight title: Terri Harper (13-1-1) v Cecilia Braekhus (37-2)
Boxing Union of Ireland Celtic Heavyweight title: Thomas Carty (5-0) v Jay McFarlane (14-7)
Welterweight: Paddy Donovan (10-0) v Sam O'Maison (17-4-1)
Flyweight: Maisey Rose Courtney (2-0) v Kate Radomska (3-1)
