Former WBA (Super) super-middleweight British boxing champion, George Groves, has emphasised the risk of underestimating Katie Taylor in the lead-up to her much-anticipated fight against Chantelle Cameron on November 25.
Earlier this year, Taylor experienced her first defeat at the hands of Cameron, the Northampton native, in a professional bout that went the full distance. The latter secured a majority decision victory in Dublin, setting the stage for their upcoming rematch this winter.
The rematch, scheduled to take place at the 3Arena, is generating significant traction among fans in the boxing community.
At 37 years old, Taylor's days at the top of female boxing seem to be coming to a close, but she is determined to give it another go against the heavier Cameron next winter.
Groves, sharing his insights, questioned the advantage of weight for Taylor in this matchup. He praised Cameron's sheer tenacity, considering her a formidable force capable of overpowering any opponent. As a unified world champion, Cameron's ability is highlighted by her skill to evade punches effortlessly.
"I'm not sure if the weight favours Taylor. I think Cameron's a brute; she'll steamroll anyone. She's a unified world champion and she doesn't need to slip a punch. It's a bit unreal. The two minutes suit Cameron because she's sort of 100 miles an hour. She'll come out and dive on you; at times, it’s very crude. And the more skilful technical boxing comes from Taylor. But she's not able to do that because Cameron's treating her like a heavy bag. She just comes in, boom, boom, boom. The shots do bounce off each other, but Cameron's punching harder at that heavier weight, so she sort of bullies Taylor," Groves explained.
Back to Dublin for the rematch! 🇮🇪☘️@chantellecam puts her Undisputed Super-Lightweight Championship on the line against @KatieTaylor once again 👑#CameronTaylor2 | Nov 25 pic.twitter.com/hRPfS6Q58h
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) August 2, 2023
Groves also deliberated on Taylor's strategy and stated she will have to change tactics when the pair meet again in Dublin
"Now Taylor's going to have to come and nick the rounds, essentially. I don't think she can really hurt or stop Cameron, so she's got to come and nick the rounds. I had the last cards a bit closer than the general consensus because I thought Taylor was stealing the rounds at the end of their last fight. So I only had it to Cameron by six rounds to four," he added.
The 35-year-old also believes that Cameron will do the double over Taylor, but also admitted that regardless of another loss, Taylor is a bona fide superstar in female boxing and that writing the Bray native off isn't necessarily a good thing.
"Win, lose, or draw, it should be the last fight for Taylor. I think she's been great for female boxing," he added. "I don't think we would have female boxing without Katie Taylor; she's a global star. She can fight, she’s got the skills to match her male counterparts.
"So I think she's been great, but I think she has had her time now. She's had some hard fights and big fights. And it's starting to catch up with her a little bit. If she wins, then she's certainly got nothing else to prove. That should be it. There's no more fights with Serrano or any of the other ladies chasing her heels. I think Katie gets beat, but it’s one of those ones where you write Katie Taylor off at your peril."
Groves was speaking to Genting Casino
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