Ahead of their highly-anticipated rematch, British champion Chantelle Cameron insists she ‘learned a lot about’ herself during her victory over Katie Taylor.
Cameron scored an against-all-odds majority decision victory to retain her WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO light-welterweight belts six months ago in a thriller at the 3Arena in Dublin.
Taylor was initially meant to defend her WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight titles on May 20 in a rematch against Amanda Serrano but the Puerto Rican was ruled out due to injury.
It turned out to be a night to forget for the 37-year-old, who suffered the first defeat of her professional career in her Irish homecoming.
On Saturday night, the pair will face-off in the ring once again in a highly-anticipated rematch and, ahead of the bout, Cameron claims she’s progressed even further since their first fight.
Chantelle Cameron insists she ‘learned a lot about’ herself in her first fight with Katie Taylor
The 32-year-old will take on Taylor (R) in a highly-anticipated rematch on Saturday night
Reflecting on their bout earlier this year, Cameron told Mail Sport: ‘I learned a lot about myself. I’ve got a good poker face and I can dig deep, stay focused even when I feel I’m losing focus a little bit, I can switch back on’.
While the tensions are high ahead of their fight in Dublin, the British champion admitted that she sent a ‘sincere’ message to her opponent after their first bout.
‘I did after the fight I think ten days or two weeks after but just a sincere message saying thank you for the opportunity and hope you and your family are well.
‘It was just being sincere, it was just personal, it wasn’t for everyone to see and say ‘ah she’s messaged Katie Taylor what a good person’.
‘It was a private message and just how I think I would have felt if I was on the other end and if I’d have lost. I’d probably be feeling a bit rubbish so it was just a message to say I’m grateful for the opportunity.’
While Taylor recently told Mail Sport that she’s ‘ready to fight’ ahead of Saturday, Cameron insists she’s not fazed by the talk.
‘With all due respect, I don’t really care. I care about what I’m doing and what works for me,’ she explained.
‘If that works for me, good, but I focus on me and I’m not looking into what she’s doing and what she’s saying, stories about Katie or any of that, it doesn’t bother me. Me and Katie are going to fight and however we prepare, that’s up to us.
Cameron win via majority decision in their first meeting back in May this year
Cameron retained her WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO light-welterweight belts six months ago
‘I don’t listen to talk. Talk is just in your ear. I don’t listen to it. I focus on me and do what I do.’
While the 32-year-old is paying no attention to the pre-fight debates, she admitted that she does very her opponent as a ‘true champion’.
‘I think she’s a great fighter, a great champion, if I was in her shoes I would have wanted the rematch straight away so I think she’s a true champion.
‘She’s seeking her revenge, but against the wrong opponent, the wrong woman,’ Cameron explained.
Since handing Taylor the first defeat of her professional career and retaining her light-welterweight belts, Cameron has been enjoying her new found recognition.
The 32-year-old reflected on her recent acclaim and revealed how ‘nothing changes’ in her day-to-day routine.
‘People are so proud of me in Northampton. I’ve put my small little town on the map which I’m very proud of doing. I’m born and bred in Northampton but as much as I’m getting the recognition now, nothing changes for me.
‘I’ve still got that champion mentality and I’m always trying to improve. So nothing changes that much, I just want to make sure that I’m a better boxer and just keep improving’.
Cameron’s trainer Jamie Moore also sat in with Mail Sport and took time to praise the work ethic of the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO light-welterweight champion.
Moore said: ‘I think when fighters get to this stage of their career, I suppose you can say that the last fight was like the top of the mountain, where she’d already won the undisputed the fight before, but to beat Katie who’s sort of a living legend, you could say, ‘right, that’s the mountain peak’.
‘You’re conscious when you’re looking at your fighter, are they taking their foot off the gas? Do they feel like they’ve achieved everything they can do? And her work ethic has been better this time.
Cameron’s coach Jamie Moore was quick to praise the 32-year-old’s ‘work ethic’ recently
Moore insists he expects to see a better version of Cameron at the A3 Arena on Saturday
‘In loads of ways it was a bit of a shorter camp last time because there was only six weeks, roughly, from the point of time where Katie let Chantelle know she was open to the fight.
‘We’ve had a bit more time now, couple of key little differences. Chantelle knows she can beat Katie. She’s experienced that hostile atmosphere which is always a concern when you’ve never walked that path before, and she’s done that now, and she came through it with flying colours.
‘We sat down at the beginning of this camp and said, ‘let’s watch it back together and see where we can improve’.
‘Both of us agreed that she was not really as good as she can be herself. We expect Katie to be better but we 100 per cent expect a better Chantelle as well’.
