Here. We. Go.
At 37 years of age, and with 23 professional fights already under her belt, they really don’t come much bigger than this for Katie Taylor.
Six months ago, her long-overdue homecoming bout was ruined by Chantelle Cameron who came to Dublin and handed Taylor the first and only defeat of her pro career.
Cameron left the 3Arena that night with her own unbeaten record intact, and as the undisputed world super-lightweight champion.
Tonight, Cameron goes behind enemy lines again to try to repeat the trick, and send an unequivocal message about the changing of the guard.
Can Taylor settle the score? We’ll find out very shortly. Stay with us and you won’t miss a moment.
It has been a dream night for the Irish fighters in Dublin so far — including in the chief support bout, which has just finished, where Gary Cully banished his own demons with a split decision win over Reece Mould.
Earlier on the card, the Andy Lee-trained Paddy Donovan turned heads with a superb fourth-round stoppage against Danny Ball, while Thomas Carty stopped Dan Garber in the eighth and final round of their heavyweight tussle.
Meanwhile, Tokyo Olympian Emmet Brennan stopped Jamie Morrissey, while Belfast’s John Cooney scored a lightning stoppage against Liam Gaynor.
But now, it’s time for the main event, with ringwalk expected in the next 15 minutes or so.
A reminder, in case it’s needed: for the first time in her professional career, Katie Taylor takes to the ring as the underdog.
The champion is ready to go.
Gavan Casey is ringside at a sold-out 3Arena for us tonight, and while you’re counting down the final few minutes to ringwalk, here is his pre-fight preview:
It’s become clear that, having scrutinised her defeat to Cameron the first time around, Taylor has formed a narrative in her head that she gave too much of herself during the week’s lead-in back in May: too many interviews, too many promotional videos, too much pulling and dragging and acquiescing and feck-arseing.
She might well have a point, by the way. Even if she doesn’t, the alternative would be for Taylor to just accept that, at 37, and having ostensibly lived as a full-time boxer for two thirds of her life, her time might be up. And most boxers of her tenure will lean into every other possible caveat before submitting to that scary thought.
So, Taylor has opted for a bullshit-free week in search of the few per cent she was missing against Cameron six months ago. Saturday will provide her with conclusive answers, by hook or by a few of them.
This is what it’s all about — ALL of the world super-lightweight belts.
Sweet Caroline is ringing out around the 3Arena, which is absolutely hopping — so you know it’s nearly time.
As challenger, Katie Taylor will walk first.
And here she comes… as in the past, Taylor emerges to a spiritual track — this one is Raise A Hallelujah.
And here comes Cameron, her music just about drowning about the initial boos from the 3Arena crowd.
Cameron is met with a wall of Olé Olé Olé as she steps out onto the stage. If the Dublin crowd can give Taylor any sort of an edge tonight, they’re doing everything in their power already.
𝗚𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘀 🥶@KatieTaylor ring walks to a sold out @3ArenaDublin 🇮🇪#CameronTaylor2 coming up live on @DAZNBoxing next! pic.twitter.com/oV8y3mgd6y
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) November 25, 2023
Roberto Ramirez gives his final instructions in the middle of the ring — and here we go. Taylor v Cameron II is on!
Round 1: Fast start from Taylor, who gets the jab going early and won’t let Cameron settle early on — but TAYLOR’S DOWN. The referee waves it off as a slip, which is a let-off for Taylor. What a start!
DRAMA IN THE FIRST!! #CameronTaylor2 | @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/wptQVS9roN
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) November 25, 2023
Round 2: Huge pressure from Cameron to start off the second, and she starts looking for some of those big body shots that hurt Taylor so badly six months ago. Cameron backs Taylor up inside the final 30 seconds of the round, but Taylor’s counter-punching is good. And both are still toe-to-toe as the bell goes. A blistering start here.
Round 3: Cameron gets through with another body shot, but it’s met in response with a flurry of Taylor punches that draws a huge roar from the Dublin crowd. Again, it’s Cameron who finishes the round on the front foot, backing Taylor up into the corner — but there’s a bad clash of heads. Cameron has definitely come off the worse there. She’s bleeding heavily from her forehead over her left eye.
Round 4: The referee calls a pause early in the fourth and invites the doctor to inspect Cameron’s cut again — it is a nasty one, but the doctor rules that she’s okay to continue. It’s another very even round, with good moments for both — Cameron threw 30 punches to Taylor’s 25, but Taylor connected with slightly more.
Round 5: Katie Taylor won’t be found wanting tonight, that’s for sure. Cameron can’t really settle into her distance her jab in the early part of this fifth round. Taylor slips one, and counters nicely, but as the round goes on, Cameron tries to get back on the front foot and put Taylor under pressure.
Scoring the fight for DAZN, Barry Jones has Taylor 4-1 up through five rounds.
Chantelle Cameron is cut! 👀#CameronTaylor2 | @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/hOVx1jqKiv
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) November 25, 2023
Work needed on the forehead of Cameron! Deep cut! 😲#CameronTaylor2 | @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/8j6mOlm8OH
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) November 25, 2023
Round 6: Katie Taylor digs in and meets Cameron right where she finds her — she won’t take a backwards step — but it’s Cameron who shades the exchanges, and that’s likely one back for the champion as we enter the final four.
Speaking from ringside, Andy Lee describes Cameron’s jab as her greatest weapon, but one that Taylor has turned against her tonight by slipping it and countering.
Round 7: If you can get yourself to a TV for the next 15 minutes, do it now. There are shades of the Serrano fight everywhere as Taylor and Cameron go to war again. Andy Lee calls it as Fight of the Year already — and we still have three rounds to go.
Barry Jones’ scorecard at the moment is 5-2 Taylor through seven rounds.
The NOISE in the 3Arena is out of this world.
Round 8: For the first time, Katie Taylor is starting to look very tired — Cameron is trying to use her weight advantage, leaning on her, fighting inside, and Taylor is struggling. But she finishes with a beauty of a right hook to leave a reminder on Cameron at the end of it. Two rounds to go.
Who has more left for these last two rounds?
Round 9: Again, Cameron tries to fight inside as much as she can, but Taylor is able to keep her at bay in the early exchanges with some clever counters. Every punch is met with another in return. The crowd roar Taylor’s name, and erupt at the bell. They feel that this is very much within her grasp.
Two minutes to go.
Round 10: Cameron knows she needs a big round but she seems unsure as how to approach it, stung by too many Taylor counters tonight. Cameron tries one last big attack inside the final 20 seconds but Taylor wraps her up and the final seconds tick away.
What a fight. What a fight.
“We have just witnessed greatness here,” says Andy Lee. He can’t find the words to sum up this Taylor performance.
AND NEW!
KATIE TAYLOR BEATS CHANTELLE CAMERON BY MAJORITY DECISION
98-92, 96-94, 95-95
TAYLOR IS THE UNDISPUTED WORLD SUPER-LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPION
𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗞𝗧 👏@KatieTaylor avenges defeat to Chantelle Cameron by majority decision to become a two-weight Undisputed World Champion 🤯
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) November 25, 2023
📝 98-92, 96-94, 95-95
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐫. 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝. 𝐈𝐜𝐨𝐧. 👑 #CameronTaylor2 pic.twitter.com/K1O3w2Ppu8
Taylor: “Two-weight undisputed champion – that sounds very nice. Thank you so much everyone.
“That was the longest six months of my life waiting for this fight… this is my real homecoming tonight.”
Taylor: “Whoever wrote me off, they obviously don’t know me very well. I was nearly offended that I was written off going in to this fight. Don’t ever doubt me.”
Don't ever doubt me 😤 @KatieTaylor#CameronTaylor2 | @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/m6gBx4Fo0f
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) November 25, 2023
Taylor: “Let’s get the trilogy in Croke Park.”
Eddie Hearn: “Honestly, the single greatest night I’ve experienced in this sport.
“She is one of the biggest legends to ever come out of this country. You should be so proud of her.
“Croke Park has to happen… next spring, summer, we will create a venue you will never forget.”
Taylor: “[Cameron] is a legend herself… two legends of women’s boxing, I don’t think there’s ever been a trilogy in women’s boxing, this can be the first.”
What a night. What a fight.
And in the circumstances, very possibly the greatest night in a career that is absolutely overflowing with them.
You best believe you’re going to hear a lot about Taylor-Cameron III in Croke Park in the coming days, weeks, and months.
The official #CameronTaylor2 scorecards 📝 pic.twitter.com/YFeTGJBDsM
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) November 25, 2023
That’s all from me for this evening, but stay with us throughout the evening for all of the reaction and analysis from Gavan Casey in the 3Arena.
Thanks for reading.
