Katie Taylor has made her way into elite company. The Irish boxer has joined Claressa Shields and Terence Crawford as the only fighters to win undisputed titles in two different weight classes during the four-belt era. While the victory was sweet, the road to glory was difficult and grueling.
Six months after suffering the first defeat of her professional career, Taylor returned home to the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland as the betting underdog in a rematch with Chantelle Cameron. However, Taylor did anything but fight as if she was the underdog. Pushing through Cameron’s athletic and physical style, Taylor was both sharp and fast as she took the fight to the younger champion and utilized her experience to clinch when needed and work her way around the ring. Still, Cameron was able to work the hometown favorite to the body and put herself into potentially win late. In the end, Ferenc Budai scored the bout a draw while Jan Christensen and Steve Morrow delivered scores of 98-92 and 96-94 in Taylor’s favor.
“Whoever wrote me off, they obviously don’t know me very well,” Taylor said.
“The last fight, you saw the worst of me and the best of Chantelle. Tonight, you saw the real me, and when I box like that, nobody can beat me.”
Taylor’s victory opens the door for a second fight with Serrano and a third fight with Cameron in 2024.
