Why Katie Taylor’s rematch with Chantelle Cameron has all the makings of a classic

It was a hard, hard night back in May for Katie Taylor when she lost for the first time as a professional boxer.

This Saturday, back in Dublin, she fights Chantelle Cameron again and this time it is personal. The belts mean nothing, it is all about revenge and for Cameron it is all about respect.

In many ways, Cameron was the underdog the first time, she was defending her four belts at super-lightweight, but she was the opponent for Taylor’s triumphant return to Ireland. She knew her role, played it perfectly all week and then ruined the fairytale on fight night.

This time it is different, and she will not play the loser once the week’s events start. She will start as the favourite, the champion, the conqueror. But it will probably still all be about Katie.

“I’m the champion and I need to start getting a bit more respect,” said Cameron. She is not angry, just looking for a bit more recognition for her role in the fight. Cameron is unbeaten in 18 fights and arguably the No 1 attraction in the women’s game; beating Taylor comes with benefits.

In May, Taylor failed to dethrone super-lightweight champion Cameron

Back in May, there was tremendous pressure on Taylor and that was part of the attraction, part of the fight’s story; Taylor could have picked an easy fight for her return to Ireland, but she picked the unbeaten, four-belt champion from the weight above. It was a bold move; Cameron praised her at the time.

Taylor is now 37, the Cameron fight was her 17th consecutive world-title fight. She was, for years, untouchable as an amateur and won Olympic, European and World championships. She once went on a winning streak of 62; she does not like losing and the build to this rematch has been intense. It was a very personal defeat