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Nick Parkinson
Chantelle Cameron believes her size and work-rate will help make her the most unpopular woman in Ireland this weekend.
She intends to ruin Katie Taylor’s homecoming fight by defending her four junior welterweight titles and ending Taylor’s unbeaten record in the Irishwoman’s first professional fight in her home nation.
Undisputed lightweight champion Taylor (22-0, 6 KOs), 36, last boxed in Ireland as an amateur in February 2016 in front of a modest crowd at a hotel. Since then she has gone on to win 16 professional world title fights while being based in Connecticut, U.S., where she trains.
Promoter Matchroom wanted a bigger stadium, but Taylor and Cameron will still be met by a cacophony of noise at the 10,000-capacity 3Arena in Dublin. When Taylor fought for gold at the 2012 Olympics, the noise generated by the Irish fans in attendance at the Excel Arena in London, England, was as loud as a rock concert (113.7 decibels). A similar reception is expected on Saturday.
Cameron insists she is happy for the attention and focus to be on Taylor, while she concentrates on a game plan she is convinced will ruin a fairy-tale homecoming.
“It will be hostile but it will give me a lift, make me more up for it,” Cameron told ESPN. “I’ve got no pressure on me, where as Katie has got all the pressure on her, they are all there to see her. People are overlooking me, it’s all about Katie’s homecoming, and I’m going to shock a lot of people by ruining that homecoming.”
Cameron (17-0, 8 KOs), 31, from Northampton, England, has prepared for the fight working with trainer Jamie Moore and assistant trainer Nigel Travis mainly in Salford, near Manchester, but also for a week in Tenerife, Spain.
She will concentrate on utilizing her height (3 inches) and reach (3 inches) advantages against Taylor.
Cameron is in the form of her life after producing a career-best display to earn a unanimous decision win over Jessica McCaskill, of Chicago, to become the undisputed champion at 140 pounds last November. That win followed four victories at world title level for Cameron.
“If this fight was a year or two ago it would have been in her favour, but I’ve progressed and I’ve put on some good performances,” Cameron said.
“She beat me as an amateur, but it’s completely different now and I’m going to be too much for her. I have a no-lose mindset.
“I’m too big and busy for her. Katie is very fast, good boxer and skilful but when it gets to fighting on the inside, she falls apart. I’m good working on the inside and I’m bigger. I’ve also got a high work rate and for this fight I’ve prepared harder than any other fight.
While Cameron admits Taylro is a better boxer than her, she believes she’s the better. “tougher” fighter overall.
“She’s beatable — as long as it’s fair. We have seen Katie get the nod before in fights that could have gone either way. It’s sport and fighters shouldn’t be cheated. I would be lying if I said it’s not a worry, but I’ve done everything I can to make sure there is no doubt about the decision.”
Whatever the outcome in Dublin, Cameron’s opinion of Taylor and her impact on women’s boxing for more than a decade will be unchanged.
Since her gold medal triumph at the 2012 Olympics, Taylor has been one of the trailblazers to take women’s boxing to an unprecedented level of interest, increased participation and vastly improved pay for female fighters. And in Ireland, Taylor is a household name.
“If it wasn’t for Katie I wouldn’t be in this position because of what she has done for women’s boxing,” Cameron said. “She has been incredible and she should have had her homecoming fight long before this, because she deserves it.”