Mikaela Mayer, the current mandatory challenger for the undisputed crown of Katie Taylor in the 135-pound division, holds the belief that the Irish boxing star is showing signs of decline.
Last Saturday night, in a highly anticipated bout held in Dublin, Taylor suffered her first professional loss when she moved up in weight to challenge Chantelle Cameron, the undisputed junior welterweight champion.
Mayer had a ringside seat at the 3Arena, witnessing Cameron successfully defend her titles with judges’ scores of 95-95, 96-94, and 96-94.
When will Katie Taylor face Mikaela Mayer
Taylor is expected to exercise her immediate rematch clause, which means that Mayer will have to wait longer before the sanctioning body mandates a fight between her and Katie.
Despite the delay, Mayer remains determined to face Katie for the title and sees the potential decline in Taylor’s performance as an opportunity to seize the crown.
“I do think Katie Taylor is a bit on the decline. It’s not a shot at her because she’s 36 and has taken on every challenge possible,” Mayer told BBC Sport.
“But if you look back a couple of years, she was so quick and so explosive throughout a ten round fight and it looks like she doesn’t have that in her now. She needs to train smarter not harder for the rematch.”
Rematch vs Chantelle Cameron
Jamie Moore, the head trainer for Chantelle, holds the firm belief that his undefeated protégé has now cemented herself as the pound-for-pound best female fighter in the world.
Moore’s confidence stems from Cameron’s recent accomplishments in the ring, particularly her victorious bout against Jessica McCaskill. McCaskill, who holds the distinction of being the undisputed world champion at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.
She was convincingly defeated by Chantelle, further solidifying her standing as a formidable force in women’s boxing.
Mikaela’s advice for the Champ
Moore’s assertion highlights the exceptional skills and achievements of Chantelle, propelling her to the forefront of the pound-for-pound rankings in women’s boxing.
“If Katie Taylor was ranked number one pound-for-pound, which I believe she was, if somebody’s just beaten her then surely that makes her the best pound-for-pound,” Moore said.
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