While many debate who will become the undisputed king of the crowded men’s super welterweight division, someone may have claimed the throne of the women’s super welterweight division.
- Result: Cameron def. Mayer (UD, 10 — 97-93, 97-93, 96-94)
- Significance: Cameron claims three of four major world titles in the women’s 154-pound division.
After Claressa Shields stopped Kaye Scott to claim two middleweight titles, fans and pundits alike began to look to the future. Some thought Shields would face unified welterweight champion Lauren Price, while others hoped she’d clash with fellow former U.S. Olympian Mikaela Mayer. However, Mayer needed to get past Chantelle Cameron in a highly anticipated showdown at 154 pounds.
Mayer, the 2025 Sports Illustrated Female Fighter of the Year, entered the bout as a slight betting favorite. Mayer, 35, beat then-unified junior welterweight champion Mary Spencer in what many considered to be a one-sided, unanimous decision last October, while Cameron beat Michaela Kotaskova for the vacant WBO Super Welterweight Championship.
“When I go in there this weekend, I’m going to start quick, start fast, start from round one, not let anything get away from me, and not leave it in the hands of the judges because you can’t always trust the judges,” Mayer said during Thursday’s press conference.
Mayer could not keep to her promise completely. While the U.S. Olympian displayed an admirable work ethic and stood toe-to-toe with Cameron, it was the WBO Super Welterweight Champion who appeared to land the harder, cleaner shots more often throughout the 10-round bout. In the end, judges scored the fight 97-93, 96-94, and 97-93 for Cameron.
“Talk is so cheap, and I showed that tonight, if you talk you’ve got to back it up,” Cameron said. “I want to do it again, over three-minute rounds.”
Mayer protested the decision and welcomed a rematch with Cameron. However, despite no longer being a titleholder, she argues that she should be able to dictate the venue of the second bout.
“I beat Chantelle, and if you want to do it again, it won’t be in the UK,” Mayer said. “I outboxed her. I thought she was going to put more pressure on. It’s in our contract. It was a good fight; let’s do it again.”
