Chantelle Cameron confirms split from coaches and offers update on Katie Taylor trilogy

Exclusive interview: Cameron has parted ways with Jamie Moore and his coaching team, ahead of a planned trilogy bout with Taylor in May

Chantelle Cameron has confirmed that her proposed trilogy fight with Katie Taylor is being lined up for 25 May at the 3Arena in Dublin, while revealing that she has parted ways with her coach Jamie Moore.

Cameron outpointed Taylor in the 3Arena in May, handing the Irish icon her first professional defeat. In the process, Cameron retained the undisputed super-lightweight titles. Taylor then gained revenge in a November rematch, also at the 3Arena, to win the belts and become the first fighter to beat the English boxer.

Following reports in Ireland this week, Cameron confirmed to The Independent on Tuesday (20 February) that Taylor’s dream of competing at Dublin’s Croke Park is unlikely to be fulfilled, should the pair round out their trilogy as expected.

“A date has been set, 25 May,” Cameron said. “Me and Katie both want the fight, it’s just to do with us getting paid the correct money. Croke Park’s not happening, it’s gonna be at the 3Arena.

“Katie Taylor’s the champion now, so I’ve got no qualms about [fighting in Ireland again]. She has the belts, I’m the challenger, so the third fight... I can’t say nothing about the location or anything.

“I would like a fair fight. I beat her the first time and I think I beat her convincingly. The second fight, she beat me, but do I think the referee gave her a little bit of help? Yeah, I do, because of the headbutts, the holding, everything that was going on. [That’s] my honest opinion, but there is no frustration, because she’s the champion. I’ve got to do what any challenger has to do: go to her backyard and snatch the belts back. That’s my plan.”

Cameron, 32, is set to return to Dublin without Moore in her corner, however. Moore revealed the split to Pro Boxing Fans earlier on Tuesday, before Cameron told The Independent: “It’s been very amicable between me and my old team. I love them to pieces and think the world of them still, there’s been no fallout. It was just the fact that I needed something new, I needed change.

Cameron and Moore ahead of November’s rematch with Taylor (Getty Images)

“I’ve been boxing for so long now; I’m 32, I started boxing when I was 10. It’s hit that stage where I needed something new to relight that fire. I just had my first loss, it was kind of like: ‘Where do I go from here?’ I’d done what I wanted to do in boxing, I’d become undisputed world champion. It’s that fire in my belly, something was missing.

“Me changing teams has relit that fire, because I’m in a new environment, I’m doing different training. I was happy before, but I’m also very happy now; this change was needed. Jamie understood that. We had a conversation, I cried, and we gave each other a hug. We’re still gonna be friends, but I had to do this for my own career – to progress again.”

Later on Tuesday, Cameron took to social media to announce that she has begun training under Grant Smith.