Chantelle Cameron vs. Katie Taylor 2 Odds
Katie Taylor's May loss to Chantelle Cameron wasn't one of boxing's upsets of the year in terms of betting because it was nearly a 50-50 fight with Taylor being a slight favorite. But it was still surprising, all things considered.
Taylor (22-1, 6 KOs) hadn't lost a fight since the quarterfinals at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She made her pro debut soon after and won her first 22 fights.
Taylor is still the reigning undisputed champion at lightweight, but she was clearly a step behind at super lightweight.
THE FINAL FACE-OFF 👀 @chantellecam vs @KatieTaylor
👑 Undisputed World Super Lightweight Championship#CameronTaylor2 live on @DAZNBoxing tomorrow pic.twitter.com/hi6rZiYv3t
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) November 24, 2023
Cameron (18-0, 8 KOs) is the defending undisputed champion at super lightweight, and those five pounds made a difference in May, even as Taylor fought in her native Ireland for the first time in her pro career.
She'll have the home-field advantage once again at 3Arena – the same venue – against United Kingdom native Cameron, who narrowly outpointed Taylor by majority decision – 96-94, 96-94 and 95-95 – in their previous encounter.
This is my look at the Cameron vs. Taylor odds and my prediction and betting angle for Saturday afternoon's fight.
Cameron vs. Taylor Fight Analysis
For the in-ring preview, I should really just play you the first fight and go straight into the pick, but I'll provide a little more than that.
The bigger and stronger Cameron is also, well, bigger. At 5-foot-8 with a 69-inch reach, she has three inches in both departments over the smaller Taylor.
In their first fight, Cameron used her physical advantages to pressure Taylor instantly. Taylor opted to, as she often does, utilize her footwork and movement to set up counter-punching opportunities.
To slow down Taylor and control her movement, Cameron smartly opted to neutralize her with body punches, of which she landed 37 – all power punches (non-jabs), averaging about two landed body shots per minute in the 10-round contest.
To continue moving around the ring, Taylor popped her jab at Cameron effectively. She landed 21 of 88 attempts while Cameron primarily used her jab – of which she landed just 27 of 232 – as a vehicle to close in on Taylor with power punches, often a straight right hand.
Cameron's cardio was also relentless. She threw 565 punches in the bout (just over 28 per round) and outlanded a much less active Taylor (who threw 284), 141-111.
The fight felt fairly even midway through before Cameron had her best moments between rounds six through nine, where I thought she won the fight – though the scorecards wouldn't reflect that.
Cameron's pressure was able to break Taylor's shield as she continued to lean on her left hook to the body to keep Taylor honest, making it a war on the inside and causing less movement from her lighter foe.
Even engaging in a brawl, Taylor had moments of success, particularly with her blinding speed and accuracy. But they were few and far between the more active Cameron, and it's a style of fight that nearly (and probably should've) lost Taylor the Amanda Serrano bout last year.
Cameron vs. Taylor Prediction
Ultimately, what we saw in the first bout is what I'm banking on to repeat.
My pick is for Cameron to, again, successfully defend her undisputed crown at super welterweight and to do so on points/by decision, which is a nice -114 at FanDuel as of Friday.
I think, in Ireland, you have to account for Taylor keeping it close enough to, we'll say, be awarded the decision. But Cameron appeared too big, too strong, and good enough to outbox Taylor for a number of rounds.
Cameron's pressure should work once again, and she'll get Taylor to fight how she wants more often than the inverse. Additionally, Cameron, 32, should be even more successful in the rematch against a 37-year-old Taylor, in theory.
Good luck and don't go broke.
The Pick: Chantelle Cameron by Points or Decision (-114 at FanDuel)
