Business as usual: For Katie Taylor, Saturday night was both special and a fight like any other

IT WAS 2011 when a wildly successful novice amateur athlete named Chantelle Cameron faced three-time amateur world champion Katie Taylor.

Of course, phenom from Bray, Ireland, won the match and within a year he had an Olympic gold medal added to the cupboard. She’ll also win two more world amateur crowns before the tipping point.

But 12 years is a long time in boxing and a lot has changed since the night Taylor beat Cameron. When the pair traded punches for the second time this weekend, it was a near-money fight between two women who held all the hardware available in their respective weight classes.

Taylor recalled to Boxing News: “I’ve known Chantelle since my amateur days when we shared the ring. “So it was a long, long time.

“I have been aware over the last few years that this could be a potential fight. It’s great that the war has crossed the line.”

Taylor was hoping to get a rematch with Amanda Serrano at Croke Park as it was her first match in Ireland as a professional tennis player. But when it was reported that the venue was deemed too expensive by her promoter Eddie Hearn and Serrano was no longer available, they had to find a Plan B.

Cameron, who recently beat Jessica McCaskill to cement her No. 1 spot at 140 lbs, was an obvious but risky move with the packed 3Arena, Dublin, chosen as the venue for the encounter. .

She added: “Obviously it would be an absolutely phenomenal phenomenon if the match were to take place at Croke Park, that most iconic arena. “I very much hope that a fight will happen there but right now I am happy to fight back home regardless of the arena in which I am fighting.

“I feel grateful to be in this position, for the first time in a long time, the great boxer returns to his native Ireland. The support I get from people back home has been phenomenal, ever since my amateur days.”

In fact, this time Taylor may have sold out the 10,000-seat 3Arena no matter who her opponent is, and many fans have been disappointed by a deal for Croke, which can seat more than 80,000. was not agreed. Even so, the 36-year-old should be applauded for undertaking such a risky mission for her return home.

“I think it was possibly the hardest fight of my career,” she admitted. “A lot of people say this is a tougher fight than Amanda Serrano, so it will be a big fight with two undisputed champions sharing the ring. It will just be a real epic fight. She’s big, she’s strong, she’s got a good engine and a good stab. This is going to be a very tough fight but I will be ready and prepared for whatever comes my way.

“I’m excited that it’s actually happening and I have the opportunity to be the undisputed champion in two weight classes in front of my own fans. That’s a big megafight. We could have chosen an easier fight for my homecoming but that’s not what I want.

“I like the challenge and I want to be in the biggest fights I can. Undisputed champion versus undisputed champion, it’s no bigger than this. I can’t wait to put on a great performance in my first game back home as a pro. There was certainly a time when I thought it would never happen, but here we are.

Katie Taylor (Mark Robinson Matchmaking Boxing)

Despite her dominance throughout her career, which led to her status as a world lightweight champion, Taylor has emerged as one of the most exciting boxers in the sport after scuffles. memorable encounters with Delfine Persoon, Natasha Jonas and Serrano, among others. This showdown with Cameron looks like another classic just waiting to happen.

“People love watching these classic fights,” she said. “Chantelle definitely has the style to turn this into another epic battle – it could be another contender for Fight of the Year.

“But actually I don’t like being in there. I would rather engage in unilateral wars but you go for it.

So far, without the opportunity to compete in boxing in Ireland, Taylor has primarily campaigned in the UK while seven of her 22 fights have taken place on the East Coast of the US, the same time zone as the training facility. Her Connecticut.

The news of her return home sparked explosive interest and calls for tickets and hotel rooms in Dublin deepened. But, hidden in New England, Taylor barely noticed.

“I wouldn’t say it felt different this time,” she said. “It was just business as usual for me.

“I know this is a big event and it could be the biggest night of my career so far but on a daily basis I just wake up and get to work, just like normal, getting ready. for a big event. night. I’m in Connecticut preparing for a big challenge so it’s no different from other fights.

“I have a fight to focus on so I don’t think too much about other things. I’m in my own little bubble so for the most part I don’t know what’s going on in the outside world. I’m here to focus on winning the fight night.”

It’s also ‘business as usual’ on the diet front despite gaining 140 lbs for this bout in just her second bout at this weight. In November 2019, Taylor played against Christine Linardatou in Manchester and announced a unanimous decision on the score and belief that she could handle the business as a lightweight boxer.

The 36-year-old 22-0 (6) added: “I think it was also a great performance against a quality opponent. I don’t think gaining a few pounds is a problem and it won’t make much of a difference for me. I feel very well equipped at 140 and it won’t matter.

“It didn’t really make a difference to me. We’re doing pretty much the same thing we’ve always done. I guess I could enjoy my food a little more in this training camp, I don’t need to cut back too much.

“But the most important thing in any training camp is the actual boxing part. I think a lot of people spend too much time doing strength and conditioning or whatever. It’s important to be strong but nothing can compare to your real boxing training.

“I feel ready, I feel strong. It’s going to be a tough challenge but I can’t wait to step up and go as undisputed champion in two weight classes.”