Having defeated Mikaela Mayer, Chantelle Cameron believes she has never been in a better position in her career than she is now.
For someone who holds the only win over Katie Taylor in the Irish woman’s illustrious career, that is saying something.
Because beating Mayer, via decision, means she has the opportunity to face Mayer again owing to a rematch clause, or she could face US great Claressa Shields.
“I’m in a really good position and I feel like it’s full circle again,” said Cameron.
“This time I’m making sure that I’m soaking it all up. I’ve been in this position before and I kind of put myself under a rock. I just kind of disappeared and didn’t embrace the moment when I beat Katie Taylor. I didn’t want to do anything. Now I think I’ve got to soak it all up and take every moment.”
Her fight with Mayer attracted in the region of 400,000 viewers on Sky Sports, incredible numbers since Moses Itauma was fighting for a world title at the same time on DAZN.
It has loaded Cameron’s career up with enough momentum that she and her team have opened talks with Team Shields for a fight at 160lbs in America early in 2027.
“Claressa, her max [to drop down to] is 160, which is... She’s Claressa Shields. I’m not going to argue that. [If] that’s all she can get down to, that’s all she can get down to. And obviously it’s going to be giving away a lot of weight. But it is what it is.”
And Cameron, who walks around at about 154lbs, is perfectly happy to let Mayer wait.
While the pair had been amicable before their fight, an incident at the weigh-in saw sparks fly and Mayer’s post-fight defiance in the ring triggered a rivalry that will likely only be settled in a return.
“I look at it like this,” said Cameron. “Before my fight with Michaela Mayer, she was talking a lot about fighting Claressa Shields. So I felt like I was being overlooked. She was talking about her next opponent when I was stood right in front of her. So it was kind of like you’re underestimating me because you’re not obviously locked in on me. You’re thinking that I’m going to be a whitewash and you’re going to move on and fight Claressa Shields. But it didn’t go that way. And I’m seeing it as winner stays on. And if you were talking about Claressa as your next opponent, well, I beat you and Claressa wants to fight me. So I’ve accepted the challenge to Claressa. If the shoe was on the other foot, I would have been sat waiting. So this is how it works.”
While there might be bad blood manifesting between Cameron and Mayer, Chantelle reiterated several times: “I really do respect Michaela Mayer. I think she’s a phenomenal fighter. I think she’s great for women’s boxing. And I’ve always been a fan of hers. Like I would happily sit and watch her fight. And I’d even buy tickets to go watch her fight. I think she’s got great style.”
It was an exchange at the weigh-in which, in part, seems to have been a miscommunication as much as anything, that saw things change.
But, as Cameron said: “tempers frayed and emotions were high.”
How excited would Cameron be if she had the opportunity to fight the self-styled “GWOAT?”
Having fought Taylor, it’s not like she’s not fought the best before. But Cameron admits there is a different level of jeopardy with Shields.
“I’ll be really honest. I always knew I’d beat Katie Taylor. I knew that my style was all wrong for Katie Taylor. I’ve always been too much for Katie Taylor. Jessica McCaskill, Delfine Persoon, Amanda Serrano. They gave me the blueprint to beat Katie Taylor. But nobody’s come close to Claressa Shields. Nobody’s tested Claressa Shields. I think Claressa Shields has kind of just obliterated everyone in front of her. So it’s completely different. Like, Claressa Shields is a whole new challenge. I’’s like the impossible task kind of thing, which excites me because I can really wake up in the morning and think that fear factor of knowing what I’m coming up against. It’s like fighting a giant, isn’t it? It’s ballsy. It’s really ballsy what I’m going to do. But that’s what excites me. And that’s what I think is going to make people put respect to my name as well, thinking fair play to me because I really am stepping up to the plate and stepping up to the challenge. And I say, I say all the time, Claressa is an amazing fighter. Like her skillset, she does everything correct. I’ve seen no chinks in her armour.”
*
There is no love lost between Cameron and Irish star Taylor to the extent that Cameron has no intention of taking in Taylor’s final farewell at Croke Park on Saturday.
