Katie Taylor, we are in awe.
Ireland's greatest ever boxer took a second stab at a homecoming bout with a rematch against England's Chantelle Cameron on Saturday evening, in front of a rapturous 3Arena crowd.
Cameron vanquished Taylor in May (94–96, 94–96, 95–95), in the first defeat of the Bray fighter's professional career, and so there was even more at stake than the world title belts on the line.
Taylor, already undisputed champion of the world at lightweight, moved up to super-lightweight to challenge Cameron for her world title belts in May, and was given a second shot on Saturday night.
An extraordinary night of boxing transpired and, if this was not the greatest fight of Taylor's career, then it is certainly among the pantheon of the very finest.
A brutal opening to the fight saw scrappy but brilliant fighting from both, and a gash to the head of Cameron would require repeated treatment from her corner, as well as brief attention from the ringside doctor.
25 November 2023; Katie Taylor, right, and Chantelle Cameron during their undisputed super lightweight championship bout at the 3Arena in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Taylor seemed to be in the ascendancy coming into the eighth but, towards the end of that round, the Irishwoman seemed to tire, and there was some management at play in the final two rounds.
She would manage the affair to perfection and, on a scorecard of 98-92, 96-94, 95-95, Taylor was crowned a two-weight undisputed champion of the world on home soil.
𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗞𝗧 👏@KatieTaylor avenges defeat to Chantelle Cameron by majority decision to become a two-weight Undisputed World Champion 🤯
📝 98-92, 96-94, 95-95
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐫. 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝. 𝐈𝐜𝐨𝐧. 👑 #CameronTaylor2 pic.twitter.com/K1O3w2Ppu8— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) November 25, 2023
Straight after the fight, Katie Taylor and promoter Eddie Hearn would call for round three between the pair of fighters to take place at Croke Park - a long-held dream which might just get over the line in light of Taylor's astonishing victory at the 3Arena.
DAZN's pundits would all hail Saturday night's bout between Katie Taylor and Chantelle Cameron as an all-time classic fight, and the general Irish public joined boxing fans in astonishment at a remarkable victory for one of this island's greatest ever sporting exports.
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Katie Taylor victory over Chantelle Cameron astounds Irish public
Katie Taylor gave the hometown crowd what they came to see on Saturday night, as she was crowned super-lightweight champion in Dublin.
Away from the 3Arena, swarms of Irish fans watched on as she added yet another belt to her enormous collection - in perhaps the most dramatic style of any victory across her career.
Punching above her weight - quite literally - saw Taylor struggle to deal with the physicality of Cameron in May, but she was by all means a match for her counterpart on Saturday, and the two went toe-to-toe across ten rounds of brutal, beautiful boxing.
The widespread consensus across the boxing world was that this was one of the finest victories of Taylor's career. At the age of 37, to come back from a defeat in a weight class above her preferred division, under the pressure of a home crowd, was nothing short of astonishing, and yet another reflection of her greatness.
Meanwhile, major Irish figures from the world of sport and beyond took to social media to share their congratulations for Taylor for yet another stunning victory.
Taylor now joins Claressa Shields and Terence Crawford as the only boxers in history - male or female - to hold all four world title belts simultaneously in two separate weight divisions. Shields was among the swathes of viewers who took to social media to congratulate the Irish fighter.
Now it’s 3, 2 weight undisputed champions! Myself, @terencecrawford & now @KatieTaylor ! #GOATS #Gwoats!
— Claressa Gwoat Shields (@Claressashields) November 25, 2023
A former Ireland international footballer on top of her boxing heroics, Katie Taylor earned congratulations from her former club Peamount United, as well as her local club Bray Wanderers.
Taylor made! 💪🟢⚫️
Congratulations to former Pea @KatieTaylor who becomes the undisputed super-lightweight champion of the world! 🏆🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/HdKvmZuk8E— Peamount Utd FC (@peamountutd) November 25, 2023
And the new 🥊 undisputed super lightweight champion of the world 🌎
🥇🥇2️⃣ weight World Champion
Congratulations Kate Taylor
We are all Bray 🇮🇪🟢⚪️ pic.twitter.com/z0N8OCvTK0— Bray Wanderers FC (@BrayWanderers) November 25, 2023
Public figures, overseas reporters, and fellow major sporting figures joined the chorus acclaiming one of Ireland's greatest ever champions.
Build a statue of Katie Taylor right now
The best to ever do it 🐐🇮🇪— Denise O'Sullivan (@OSullivanDenise) November 25, 2023
Always a champion. @KatieTaylor , winning is all the sweeter when under pressure.
— Padraig Harrington (@padraig_h) November 26, 2023
Ireland has a world champion - fantastic performance from our very own Katie Taylor! 🥊👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/LXI2dhuOQ9
— Michelle O’Neill (@moneillsf) November 25, 2023
Fight over.
Fight of the year. Male or female.
I think Katie got it.
In a career full of defining, groundbreaking moments, doing this at home after what happened in May might top them all.
Unbelievable.
Great female boxer of all time. 🇮🇪— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) November 25, 2023
Living up to expectations so far! 🔥#CameronTaylor2 #BBCBoxing pic.twitter.com/xpOLfAGznU
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 25, 2023
🐐 Katie Taylor currently holds:
👑 WBA Super-Lightweight
👑 WBC Super-Lightweight
👑 IBF Super-Lightweight
👑 WBO Super-Lightweight
👑 Ring Super-Lightweight
👑 WBA Lightweight
👑 WBC Lightweight
👑 IBF Lightweight
👑 WBO Lightweight
👑 Ring Lightweight pic.twitter.com/yhtR7haLV8— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) November 25, 2023
Irish WNT footballer Jamie Finn was in attendance at Katie Taylor's historic victory, while her teammate Niamh Farrelly would share a message to her Instagram story reading, 'What an absolute icon, the Pride of Ireland.'
The new, the undisputed, the greatest. Katie Taylor, take a bow.
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