All-time great Katie Taylor will go down in the history books for her incredible career, where she transformed women’s boxing.
Although Taylor had to start her boxing career under unusual circumstances, she has gone on to raise the status of the sport.
The former Olympian is a multi-weight world champion, with wins over the likes of Amanda Serrano and Delfine Person. However, Taylor suffered her first and only loss in 2023.
In what was her first professional fight in Ireland, she would be bested by a world champion who caused an upset.
Katie Taylor was defeated in Ireland homecoming by Chantelle Cameron
In May 2023, Taylor would step into the ring in Dublin as she was set to face Chantelle Cameron in the 3Arena. The fight was highly anticipated as it was the first time Taylor could perform in front of a home crowd.
The bout would be contested at super lightweight, as Taylor was moving up a division. Cameron, who hailed from England, was the undisputed champion of the division, with a 17-0 record.
Despite the accolades of the champion, the challenger, Taylor, was a significant favorite. However, the bout in Ireland’s capital would not go her way.
The bout between the two women was closely contested, however, the champion would defend her undisputed title. Taylor would suffer her first loss, as the judges scored it to Cameron via majority decision.
Given the close nature of their first meeting, the two would rematch six months later.
Katie Taylor avenged her loss to Chantelle Cameron in rematch
In November 2023, Taylor and Cameron would share the ring for a second time. Once again, the pair would meet in the 3Arena in Dublin. However, the result would be different in their sequel bout.
Although Taylor would hit the canvas in the opening round, the moment was ruled a slip, with Cameron not getting the point advantage. It served as a moment of controversy at the time, however, Taylor would go on to become the champion of the division.
The bout would be another close one. Improvements made by Taylor would however help her to get the decision in their rematch, amending her loss.
The rematch would also end in a majority decision, with one judge scoring the fight a draw. However, the other two judges scored the bout 98-92 and 96-94 for Taylor. Their scoring also means that if the incident in the first round had been scored a knockdown, Taylor would still have won via split decision.
Although there were talks of a trilogy bout between the two women, as they were now one win apiece, Taylor opted for a second bout with Serrano instead.
Winning the rematch with Serrano, the pair will have a trilogy bout in July 2025, despite Taylor winning the first two meetings. Although Eddie Hearn was pushing for Croke Park in Ireland to be the venue, Taylor will meet Serrano in Madison Square Garden in New York.