Katie Taylor activates Chantelle Cameron rematch clause, Eddie Hearn confirms

Katie Taylor has activated her rematch clause with Chantelle Cameron after slumping to the first defeat of her professional career last month, Eddie Hearn has confirmed.

Taylor, who still reigns as undisputed champion of the lightweight division, came up short in her bid to dethrone super-lightweight queen Cameron in Dublin.

After 22 straight victories, the Irish fight legend finally tasted defeat at the 23rd hurdle of her storied career, with Cameron instead inflicting an upset via majority decision.

It proved a disappointing evening for Taylor on her dream Dublin homecoming, with many questioning over the past month whether she should to take the rematch.

However, on Wednesday promoter Hearn confirmed that the 36-year-old is up for the challenge and has exercised her right to an immediate rematch.

Taylor slumped to the first defeat of her professional career against Cameron in Dublin

The Brit retained her undisputed super-lightweight titles after clinching a majority decision

A second showdown with Cameron is now being targeted for November, although the location remains unclear.

‘Katie Taylor’s gonna exercise that rematch clause against Chantelle Cameron,’ Hearn revealed on Matchroom’s YouTube channel. ‘We’ll plan that fight for probably November time.

‘It’s gonna be a huge fight. Katie, there was no talking her really into any other fight. It’s all she wanted, the chance to rematch Chantelle Cameron.

‘Chantelle Cameron will come into that fight as the A-side, as the favourite as well, and it’ll be a massive night.’

Prior to her maiden loss to Cameron, Taylor cemented a legacy as arguably the greatest female fighter of all time, having reigned supreme in the lightweight division and in turn playing an integral role in the recent rise of women’s boxing.

She prevailed in her career-defining encounter with Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden in April of last year, and Cameron only stepped in to face her last month when Serrano withdrew from their scheduled rematch through injury.

The Brit then went on to seize her opportunity with both hands, producing a slick display in Dublin to put the first blotch on Taylor’s glittering CV.

In her previous outing, Cameron became undisputed super-lightweight champion by toppling Jessica McCaskill out in Abu Dhabi, adding the WBA and WBO titles to her IBF and WBC straps.

Cameron boxed efficiently over 12 rounds to inflict the first defeat of her rival’s career

But Eddie Hearn has confirmed that Taylor is very much up for the challenge of a rematch

Taylor will likely have the chance to avenge her first defeat in November

When asked whether she would be open to facing Taylor for a second time, Cameron said after last month’s victory: ‘I’ll happily take the rematch and I will go back to Dublin. But this time around there needs to be some changes. 

‘What champion accepts a fight like that? I wasn’t treated like the champion that week. I was just there to turn up. But my team knew I was there to ruin the homecoming.’

She went on to add: ‘Walking out first, I was stood there for a long time as well. I was having to stay warm and stay focused. Everything was against me.

‘I stayed focused. I am proud of the way I handled fight week. The way I handled the occasion. The people close to me knew I was capable and even though I won the fight there are things I learnt about myself.

‘It just fuelled the fire in me though. I would have got frustrated and I could have let it get the better of me but it was Katie Taylor’s homecoming. It was about her. But it just makes it better that I beat her. I really did ruin the homecoming.’