Chantelle Cameron retains titles in slim decision over Katie Taylor - ESPN

Chantelle Cameron had wanted to be the spoiler in Ireland, to turn Katie Taylor's homecoming sour. She'd heard the boos from the time she entered the ring. This would be a pro-Taylor crowd in Taylor's first pro fight in her home country of Ireland — and Cameron cared not at all.

Cameron held on to beat Taylor by majority decision (96-94, 96-94, 95-95) to retain her undisputed junior welterweight titles and hand Taylor her first pro loss.

Cameron's team lifted her above their heads for a moment. It was a scene mildly unexpected on this night, one Cameron had believed in even if few others were confident it would happen.

Cameron (18-0, 8 KO) understood the challenge and believed she did enough, although even as she heard the scorecards being read she wasn't sure if she was going to win.

«I was petrified,» Cameron said. «I had seen it before in boxing, it had happened to my team before. So yeah, I was petrified that I was not going to get the decision.»

Cameron's concerns were not necessary. Two of the three judges gave Cameron the decision, one that showed in the ring and statistically she deserved.

Cameron, ESPN's No. 7 pound-for-pound fighter, landed more total punches (141), more power punches (114) and more body punches (37) than Taylor, who is No. 2 in ESPN's pound-for-pound rankings. While Taylor (22-1, 6 KO) landed a higher percentage of her shots, the undisputed lightweight champion couldn't match the aggressiveness and constant onslaught from Cameron.

By the fifth round, Cameron's relentless attack had knocked Taylor's braids out, forcing her hair into a ponytail for the final few rounds of the fight. Cameron landed more power punches in six of the 10 rounds, including a massive sixth round, when she landed a