CHANTELLE Cameron was not best pleased after Katie Taylor threw plenty of shade on her ability – or, in the Irish phenom’s mind, lack thereof – to sell tickets.
The fierce rivals squared off for the first time in 2023, back when Cameron, 21-1 (8 KOs), outpointed her decorated opponent and, in turn, pulled off a monumental upset on away soil.
In their immediate rematch, however, Taylor, 25-1 (6 KOs), exacted her revenge via the same result – a majority decision victory – before entering an eagerly-awaited rematch with Amanda Serrano.
Then, due to the frenetic nature of their second encounter, it only made sense for Taylor and Serrano to collide in a trilogy showdown earlier this month.
This time around, though, a more measured approach from Taylor, along with a somewhat bewildering strategy from Serrano, saw the 39-year-old enhance her legacy with a third points victory over the Puerto Rican.
Shortly after her polished performance, the undisputed super-lightweight champion then teased the possibility of extending her illustrious career while, at the same time, distancing herself from a potential trilogy clash with Cameron.
To go one step further, Taylor even poked fun at the Brit in her post-fight press conference, insisting that she has already made her rival more money than she deserves.
Naturally, Cameron has denied such claims in response, highlighting the fact that a rubber match would represent a lucrative and legacy-defining option for them both.
But equally, the 34-year-old – who is the mandatory challenger for Taylor’s WBC world title – remains unconvinced that a third fight will materialise.
“It was a bit distasteful,” Cameron told Sky Sports, when asked to respond to Taylor’s comments. “I was a bit shocked to hear it come out of Katie’s mouth, especially [because] she’s such a good role model for female boxing.
“Comments like that – bringing up money – [make you wonder whether it’s] about popularity or legacy.
“One minute, she’s boxing for legacy. We’re 1-1, so the legacy fight would be [against] me because there’s unfinished business.
“But then is it about popularity? She’s worrying about me selling tickets but, when we boxed in Ireland, there was no issue there.
“Stop making excuses, either fight me or don’t. I want to settle the score – it’s 1-1. I can’t say that I’m better than Katie; Katie can’t say she’s better than me.
“But I know that she doesn’t want that [third fight]. Katie and her team ain’t keen on the trilogy.”
