Katie Taylor gets even, wins Chantelle Cameron's undisputed title - ESPN

Katie Taylor produced a career-best performance to avenge her only professional defeat, beating Chantelle Cameron by majority decision to capture the undisputed world junior welterweight title Saturday in Dublin, Ireland.

With the victory, Taylor joins Claressa Shields as the only female boxers to become undisputed champion in two weight classes. She also is undisputed in the lightweight division.

In front of a frenzied crowd at the 3Arena, Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) was much improved from the last time she fought Cameron (18-1, 8 KOs) at the same venue six months ago, fighting with greater intensity and speed.

Taylor said she had never felt more motivated pre-fight, and consequently beat Cameron with her punch output, slick shot selection and energy. She earned scores of 98-92, 96-94 and 95-95 to win Cameron's WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO junior welterweight belts.

Outpointed by Cameron in May, when she was denied a fairytale outcome in her first professional fight in her native Ireland, Taylor was given a scare by her English rival in the first round Saturday when she was put on the canvas. But no count was given, and Taylor went on to dominate the next few rounds and put the agony of the past six months behind her.

«That was the longest six months of my life,» Taylor said in the ring afterward. «This was my real homecoming tonight. Whoever wrote me off don't know me very well. Don't ever doubt me. Tonight you saw the real me, and no one can beat me like that.

»You learn most from your failures. That's where your growth comes from. Never give up."

Saturday's victory extinguishes talk about Taylor being ready for retirement at age 37 and should be enough to move her up from No. 3 in the pound-for-pound rankings.

Taylor moves on to a