“Don’t ever doubt me,” a triumphant Katie Taylor told us all last night in Dublin after scoring what might just go down as her greatest, most special ring victory. Taylor, a big underdog for the first time in her storied career, rose to the occasion and then some in defeating Chantelle Cameron in their return fight. Taylor, at age 37, was “past her best, too much the naturally smaller woman,” and she was going to lose to Cameron a second time.
This is what so many of us said and truly felt, while Cameron was declaring how she would “win even more convincingly this time.” Instead, Taylor showed her undisputed greatness in avenging the majority decision loss she suffered back in May by scoring a majority decision win of her own, in doing so becoming the undisputed champion at 140 pounds.
Now the unified ruler at two weights, 135 and 140, Taylor is, as she said herself at the post-fight press conference, “back on top again.” Taylor, 23-1(6) also has plenty of options moving forward; not least a possible trilogy fight with 32 year old Cameron, now 18-1(8).
Taylor, who still dreams of having a massive fight at Croke Park in Ireland, could also fight Amanda Serrano in a rematch of what was another great fight. Taylor spoke about the possibility of having a “Barrera-Morales type trilogy” with Cameron in the future.
“I don’t think women’s boxing has seen a trilogy before,” Taylor said at the post-fight presser. “One of my favourite fighters is Marco Antonio Barrera, Barrera and Morales is the best trilogy you could ever see. So, if we could have that kind of trilogy, it would be absolutely iconic for the sport, and even better if we could get it on at Croke Park, with 80,000 people.”
Along with her superb boxing ability, indeed her all-round greatness – fitness, desire, chin and heart, dedication – Taylor always gives fans great action fights. Last night’s fight, a better action fight than the May bout, showed us again how special Katie Taylor really is. It would indeed be, as the saying goes, ‘another box ticked’ if Taylor could now give the sport of women’s boxing its first epic trilogy. Cameron might not be too thrilled at the idea of going back to Ireland for a third fight with Taylor, but the former champion will for sure be aching to do what Taylor did last night, and that’s get revenge over the first fighter to ever defeat her.
Which fight would YOU like to see next for Taylor, Cameron III or Serrano II?
