LAST UPDATE | 19 May 2023
BY THE TIME Katie Taylor stepped off the scales, the Mansion House was already frothing.
As both Taylor and champion Chantelle Cameron stared each other for the final time before they trade leather at the 3Arena on Saturday, a chorus of “There’s Only One Katie Taylor” reverberated around the building’s Round Room.
Taylor on Thursday described the armchair psychology around staredowns as “nonsense” but hers and Cameron’s on Friday was reminiscent of that between Taylor and Amanda Serrano last year. The Irishwoman ensured she lasted the distance. It was Cameron who broke their gaze, probably out of boredom as much as anything.
👀 THE FINAL FACE-OFF 🔥@KatieTaylor vs @chantellecam
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) May 19, 2023
It goes down tomorrow night in Dublin! 🇮🇪#TaylorCameron | @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/XtBG0jDQV1
Both of them weighed 139.7lbs, by the way, three tenths of a pound under the light-welterweight limit. Taylor looked in better nick this time around than she did for her last venture up to 140 to face Christina Linardatou in November 2019. She is unlikely to put on more than a pound or two overnight. The naturally larger Cameron looked a touch drawn after what would have been, for her, a more strenuous weight cut. But she was still all smiles. The Englishwoman will rehydrate and probably take with her into the ring a 10-or-so-pound advantage over Taylor on the night.
When Cameron was asked how she would handle Saturday night’s landmark occasion, she said, “Cool heads in a hot kitchen” and pretty much left it at that.
Taylor, meanwhile, was ebullient as she absorbed the adulation of the few hundred fans lucky enough to receive a ticket to Friday’s weigh-in, the attendance at which was capped for security reasons.
“It’s absolutely incredible to see the crowd here today, thank you so much,” Taylor began. “I have a chance to become a two-weight undisputed champion tomorrow and I can’t wait to get a hold of those belts.”
Asked if victory over Cameron would make for the best moment of her career, Taylor replied: “Absolutely. To bring bigtime boxing back to this great nation… I’m so proud to be in Dublin representing this great nation and I’m going to give it my all tomorrow.
“I’m just so grateful to every supporter throughout the amateur days, the pro days these last few years. It’s been so special.
I’m a very, very proud Irishwoman. Every time I step into that ring [I represent Ireland]. I can’t wait to perform for yous again tomorrow night.
✨ #TaylorCameron 1 day out 🚀 pic.twitter.com/QkwA2BZJtI
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) May 19, 2023
Taylor had been played onto the stage by two violinists whose dramatic rendition of ‘Óró, Sé do Bheatha ‘Bhaile’ fit the vibe.
Eddie Hearn donned a bright green jumper, and even some of the pundits who will work the fight for various broadcasters tomorrow — including US lightweight star Mikaela Mayer, who is on co-commentary for BBC Radio — brought with them a similar sartorial hue.
The sense of occasion was accentuated early on by Dublin heavyweight Thomas Carty [5-0, 4KOs]. After weighing in for his bout with colourful Glaswegian Jay McFarlane [14-7, 5KOs], Carty — fighting in his home city for the first time — made a point during their face-off to remind McFarlane where he was.
There was shoving, there were F-bombs to beat the band, and both heavies even took to throwing t-shirts at each other. Carty’s sizeable contingent of fans loved it, as did McFarlane who took a moment to remind the Dublin crowd that he didn’t care much for the city.
🍿🍿🍿 @thomas_carty @JayMcFarlane13
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) May 19, 2023
Fireworks guaranteed 💥#CartyMcFarlane #TaylorCameron pic.twitter.com/qmU1VhODdS
Afterwards, Carty found himself engaged in a better-natured spat — this one with a fellow Irishman, the Andy Lee-trained welterweight Paddy Donovan [10-, 7KOs]. The issue? Both men wanted to use Cranberries banger ‘Zombie’ as their ring-walk song.
Donovan maintained that, as a Limerick man, he should get first dibs. Carty acknowledged as much but, stirred by having heard MMA fighter Peter Queally walk out to the same song at the 3Arena previously, pressed for a coin toss.
Donovan won out and Carty was sent back to Spotify.
Elsewhere, projections for the main event continue to change by the day. The rare confidence with which Taylor has carried herself this week, and the weight of support behind her in Dublin, have already changed the minds of some insiders who were leaning towards Cameron earlier in the week.
Seeing both women on stage, the size difference wasn’t as stark as it reads on paper. Cameron, though, will rehydrate overnight and probably put on somewhere in the region of 10 pounds, whereas Taylor will weigh roughly the same on Saturday night as she does now.
Taylor is taking a huge risk in moving up in weight to face an undefeated, younger, fresher fighter — and if Friday was anything to go by, her fans will respond accordingly to that challenge at the 3Arena.
