Katie Taylor: 'We could have taken an easier opponent but that’s not how I operate'

Katie Taylor predicts epic homecoming bout in May

Katie Taylor (left) with Chantelle Cameron as Promoter, Eddie Hearn looks on during a press conference at The Mansion House, Dublin. Picture date: Monday March 20, 2023.

Katie Taylor has predicted that her homecoming bout against Chantelle Cameron in the 3Arena could prove to be another fight of the year contender.

The matchup has been confirmed for the same May 20th date that had been pencilled in for Taylor's rematch with Amanda Serrano and, while Cameron does not carry the same star power, she is an undefeated and undisputed light-welterweight world champion.

The Irish superstar, herself the undisputed champ at lightweight, will be moving up in class to take on her 19-0 opponent after it was claimed that Serrano had picked up an injury in training. It will be the Bray boxer’s first fight on home soil in seven years and her first as a pro.

“It’s incredible that after 22 fights I’m finally making my homecoming fight and big-time boxing is coming back to Ireland,” said Taylor in Dublin, “and it’s not just coming back with any ordinary fight: it’s coming back with two undisputed champions going at it together.

“This is one of the most exciting nights out there. Once I heard that Serrano was out I thought Chantelle was the obvious choice. Spotless career, undisputed champion, she has the style to make this another epic and contender for fight of the year.” 

Cameron and her trainer Jamie Moore certainly talked in a similar vein. Both were nothing but respectful of Taylor the boxer and her achievements but they echoed one another in their absolute certainty that they would be walking away with all the belts.

Taylor didn’t have to take this fight. When Serrano pulled out she could have let the date slip by in the hope that the pair could repeat their Madison Square Garden epic some time later in the year. Or she could have lined up an easy mark for the 3Arena.

Instead, the quiet and unassuming Taylor took the highly unusual move of calling Cameron out on social media in an attempt to ensure that the fight would happen. Cameron was more than happy to oblige so Dublin on May 20th it is.

“I don’t understand why people were saying I didn’t want this fight. The one thing throughout my career is that I always wanted these types of fights. My first defence was against (Jessica) McCaskill, my Madison Square debut was against (Delfine) Persoon who had dominated that division for years, and then there is obviously Serrano who was a seven-weight world champion. And that’s not to mention all the other difficult fights I have had along the way.

“This fight is happening because I wanted it. We could have gone the other way and taken the easier route and easier opponent but that’s not how I operate. I wanted the challenge and now we are here. This is my big homecoming show and I have the chance to become a two-weight undisputed champion. This will be the biggest night of my career.” 

Taylor noted the danger that is inherent with an opponent that is five years younger but made the point that when it came to experience of bigger fights and better opponents it was obvious who had the edge.

Soon to be 37, there have been concerns that her athletic prowess could decline rapidly at any stage but her trainer Ross Enamait spoke of an athlete in peak condition and Taylor promised she would be mentally, physically and spiritually better prepared than ever.

Tickets for the fight will go on sale next week. Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn explained that there will be somewhere between 8-9,000 tickets for the bout and it is inevitable that demand will outstrip supply.

The original plan had been for Taylor and Serrano to meet in May in Croke Park but Taylor put the magnitude of the event to come in perspective when reminiscing about the defence of her WBA lightweight title against Jessica McCaskill in December of 2017.

That fight took place at a London venue with a capacity of 1,200.

“This is another huge milestone for female boxing because we were worried a few years ago whether we were going to sell the York Hall, now we’re talking about the 3Arena being too small. This is remarkable progress in such a small space of time and I can’t wait to step in there in front of my home crowd on May 20th.”