On Saturday in Dublin, 37 years old Katie Taylor proved she still has a lot left in the tank when she won her rematch with Chantelle Cameron to become undisputed super lightweight champion. Taylor is now undisputed champion at both 135 and 140 pounds, further cementing her legacy as one of the greatest female boxers in history.
The fight was outstanding from the opening round, with both women firing big flurries of punches and picking up from their fantastic clash in May, which Cameron won by majority decision, handing Taylor the first loss of her professional career. The first round didn't pass without controversy, however, as Cameron appeared to land a stiff jab that sent Taylor to the canvas. The referee ruled it was not a knockdown, however, and Taylor was quickly back to her feet and continuing to fire punches.
DRAMA IN THE FIRST!! #CameronTaylor2 | @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/wptQVS9roN
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) November 25, 2023
Both women employed rough tactics throughout the bout, landing punches on the break or after the bell and with their heads clashing multiple times. Blood was flowing from a nasty cut on Cameron's forehead while Taylor was sporting plenty of black and blue on her face.
While Cameron attempted to dominate in close, a key to her win in their first bout, Taylor handled the pressure much better this time around and kept Cameron from getting fully comfortable as the bigger woman.
Nearly every round was close, with both women having solid moments, but Taylor appeared to slightly edge out the majority of the rounds, which showed on the official scorecards, which read 95-95 even and cards of 98-92 and 96-94 in favor of Taylor.
"Two weight undisputed champion, that sounds very nice," Taylor said after the fight. "Thank you so much, everyone. That was the longest six months of my life waiting for this rematch. I'm so glad I got to do it with my home crowd. This is my real homecoming tonight. ... Whoever wrote me off, you obviously don't know me very well. don't ever doubt me."
With both women handing the other their first career loss -- and both fights ending in majority decision -- they may be destined to meet one final time to settle the score and determine the true winner in one of women's boxing's best in-ring rivalries. Taylor was open to the idea after the fight, pitching the idea of holding it in one of Ireland's most iconic stadiums.
"Let's get the trilogy at Croke Park," Taylor said.
