Katie Taylor and Chantelle Cameron will face each other again following their May 20th match, as confirmed by Matchroom. Their last match culminated in Chantelle Cameron winning by majority decision. Similar to the first match, the rematch will also take place at super lightweight, putting Cameron’s titles on the line once more. The 3Arena in Dublin will again set the stage for the fight between Cameron and Taylor and a date has also been set for November 20th.
Despite Katie Taylor (22-1, 6 KO’s) remaining the undisputed lightweight champion at lightweight, the match is set to take place at 140 lbs where Chantelle Cameron (18-0, 8 KO’s) reigns as the undisputed super lightweight champion. Although the rematch was anticipated, holding it at super lightweight may suggest bias towards Katie Taylor, as her lightweight titles and undisputed status will remain unaffected in case of a loss.
Chantelle Cameron, however, still runs the risks of losing her titles and her undisputed status despite coming out as the victor in her first match with Katie Taylor. It is a rather odd strategy by Matchroom, who promotes both boxers; Taylor is arguably reaching the back-end of her career with her current age of 37 while Katie Taylor is well in her prime with her being 32 years of age.
Despite Cameron’s previous victory and the current promising stage of her career, she will be the only one forced to defend her titles, while Taylor faces no risk other than a loss. Matchroom’s decision raises concerns about favoritism, which may not sit well with other fighters under their promotion.
This sentiment was echoed by former Matchroom fighter Joshua Buatsi (17-0, 13 KO’s), who stated that feeling undervalued played a part in his decision to leave the promotion. In this case, Chantelle Cameron is clearly not being prioritized as she again risks more than Katie Taylor who will also again fight in her hometown of Dublin.
The last match between Katie Taylor and Chantelle Cameron, though closely contested, appeared to favor the latter, despite the majority decision by the judges suggesting otherwise. It is also worth noting that Katie Taylor has not defended her lightweight titles since October 2022, which means she will have exceeded the sanctioning bodies’ 365-day rule for title defenses by the time of the rematch in November, yet she is unlikely to face any consequences.
Katie Taylor’s post-rematch plans remain uncertain. However, it is entirely possible that she will return to the lightweight division after winning the super lightweight titles, potentially impacting Chantelle Cameron’s momentum if she loses in the rematch. It is worth noting that Katie Taylor has not faced any such risks in either the first match or the upcoming rematch.
