“This will be the biggest night in my career, and I think it could possibly be another ‘Fight of the Year’ contender.”
Katie Taylor is coming home. On May 20th, Ireland’s greatest ever athlete will take on Chantelle Cameron in a bid to make history and become the undisputed champion across both the lightweight and super-lightweight division.
Many analysts have spoken about their surprise at Katie Taylor taking this fight – Cameron is one of the hardest fights Katie Taylor could have taken.
Cameron is one of the biggest names in the sport right now with an unbeaten record after 17 fights. The 30-year-old from Northampton, England, has a background in kickboxing and Muay Thai before she made the transition to boxing. Cameron won her first professional title, the WBC silver lightweight belt in 2018 before moving up to 140 lbs where she has dominated to become the undisputed champion of the division since October 2020.
Going up a weight class at this stage in her career is certainly a risk but according to the Bray fighter – this is for legacy.
“I don't understand why people are saying that I didn't want this fight. I think one thing that has marked my career is that I always wanted the hardest fights. My first defence was against (Jessica) McCaskill, my Madison Square debut was against (Delfine) Persoon, who had dominated the lightweight division for years,” said Katie Taylor.
“Then there's obviously Serrano, who was a seven-weight world champion. This fight has happened because I wanted this fight. We could have gone the easier route but that's not how I operate. I want the tough challenges. I want the toughest fights, and now we're here.”
It's all about legacy for Katie Taylor 🏆🏆
Katie Taylor is back in Dublin and was speaking at the Press Conference ahead of her fight on May 20th.
"It's incredible that big time boxing is coming back to Ireland. This could be another fight of the year!"
#TaylorCameron pic.twitter.com/ccJAYYZ0pt— Her Sport (@HerSportDotIE) March 20, 2023
Taylor is currently undefeated in 22 professional fights, having incredibly fought in 16-title fights. The 36-year-old Olympic gold medallist turned professional in 2016 and has since gone on to dominate the sport, winning every major title available at lightweight.
Asked by promoter Eddie Hearn if that was the biggest fight of her career, Katie Taylor answered emphatically, “Yeah, absolutely.”
“I have a chance to make history by becoming a two-weight undisputed champion. This will be the biggest night in my career, and I think it could possibly be another ‘Fight of the Year’ contender.”
THE FIRST FACE OFF 👀
👑 @KatieTaylor vs @chantellecam 👑
🗓️ May 20
📍@3ArenaDublin #TaylorCameron live on @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/KIafWqdNYE— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) March 20, 2023
The fight between Taylor and Cameron is not only significant because it pits two undisputed champions against each other, but also because it is taking place in Ireland, marking Taylor's long-awaited homecoming.
“This is absolutely incredible. I am nearly pinching myself to the fact that this is actually happening right now.,” Taylor said with a booming smile.
“We are a people in this country who love this noble sport, and for a very small nation, we're very, very good at it. It's amazing to be able to bring big-time boxing back to this country. I have an amazing opportunity to make more history on May 20, and it is amazing. This is another huge milestone for female boxing because a few years ago, we were worried about whether we weren’t going to sell out York Hall. Now, we're talking about the Three Arena being too small!”
Taylor and Cameron meet on May 20th – tickets are yet to go on sale with many expecting a sell out within minutes.
Back home 🇮🇪#TaylorCameron pic.twitter.com/0JRCydueCm
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) March 20, 2023
