Chantelle Cameron on Mikaela Mayer, letting go of Katie Taylor, and the pursuit of boxing happiness

Each time Katie Taylor’s bloody gloves found the ever-messier face of Chantelle Cameron, and with each spritz of crimson, the Dublin crowd greeted the violence like the winning try in a rugby World Cup final. Three years on, the 3Arena may still echo with the noise of that famous night, when Taylor barely achieved the revenge she craved, and the building shook as though it could crumble into the River Liffey – as the whole city threatened to do the same, amid shameful riots.

For a long time, Cameron obsessed over the idea of her own revenge: breaking the 1-1 deadlock with a trilogy bout, settling the score after she and Taylor had desecrated each other’s unbeaten records. But at last, with Taylor set for her dream retirement at Croke Park against a different foe, Cameron has let go.

Frustration has given way to closure, the former undisputed champion tells The Independent. “One hundred per cent.”

Still, detailing the emotions that once coloured the episode, Cameron reflects: “She had the chance of redeeming herself, but I never got that opportunity. She would be in interviews, saying, ‘I want the trilogy,’ but it was never going to happen. It was just saying it for the cameras. There was no truth in it whatsoever.

“[The rematch] was kind of a grab-and-run job, so she should have just been honest and said that. There was no talks, no negotiations, there was zero. But that’s the past now. I wish her all the best in her upcoming fight, and I carry on with my career.”

Indeed, Cameron has fought four times since her sole loss, winning each bout and becoming a three-weight champion in the process. Yet that hints at smooth terrain on the road to the present, smoother than the Northampton boxer has actually navigated.

After her defeat by Irish icon Taylor, Cameron parted ways with her coaches Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis, only to return earlier this year.

The 34-year-old simply cites “happiness” as the source of the reunion, or a lack thereof when she trained elsewhere – despite the learnings and victories that her detour brought.

“I think it’s because they know me so well,” Cameron explains. “They know me inside out, and they know when I need a kick up the bum, and they know when to hold me back. They’ve known me for a very long time, and it’s more like a family kind of environment, where we just have that good connection, and you can talk. It’s not just going to the gym to train; it’s a bit more personal.”

Cameron would still encourage young boxers to explore different coaches, however. “I think so many people criticise fighters for changing trainers, but this is a short career, and you only get one career. If you feel that you need a change of scenery, a new set of eyes on you, to learn more skills, you should go and try other gyms. The boxer has to come first; no one else is putting the boxer first. There shouldn’t be no judgment on it, just do it the correct way.”

Another change in Cameron’s career has been her move to Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), the company co-founded by YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul, which has a female-first focus. Cameron credits MVP with opening doors quickly – doors that appeared locked before.

“My last opponent, when I done the 10 three-minute rounds, they got me her because she was the mandatory challenger for [Mikaela] Mayer at 147lb. Everything they’ve done for me has had purpose. I’ve got nothing but positive things to say, very grateful.”

Here, Cameron is referencing her April win over Michaela Kotaskova, when the pair became the first female boxers to contest 10 three-minute rounds on UK soil, and her upcoming bout: a clash with Mayer in Birmingham on 29 August.

Against Kostaskova, Cameron collected the vacant WBO super-welterweight belt; against Mayer, the WBC strap is also up for grabs. And Cameron acknowledges that Mayer represents the biggest name she will have boxed, after Taylor.

“I’ve been screaming for a fight like this for so long,” Cameron says, as she prepares to headline against the American on a women’s UK vs US card. “It felt like it was never going to happen.”

Mayer, 36, is a four-weight world champion, and her only losses – to Natasha Jonas and Alycia Baumgardner – both came via split decision. But were they cases of bad luck, or evidence that Mayer lacks a necessary edge when the pressure is highest?

“I watched her fight Tasha Jonas live, and I’ll be honest, I thought Mayer did win. I didn’t see her and Baumgardner live, but I did watch it on TV, and I think Mayer could have edged that fight as well. So, I think she has been unlucky. I know it’s a 50/50 fight [on 29 August], so you’re naturally going to put your foot further on the pedal, and that’s what I’ve done.”

And finally, an admission from Cameron that is as blunt as the strikes which have won her world titles: “If I don’t bring my A-game, I’ll get beat.”