An Undisputed Type Of Weekend
In a sport that we’re told should mourn its own dignity, we roll into a weekend in which not one, but TWO undisputed fights are to take place. Now how about that?
Ireland is home to many of the sports’ most iconic figures. If I sat and listed them all, I’d easily pass my sub-editor’s word count. But this week is about a fighter who doesn’t just represent the nation, but the transition of boxing into the modern day.
Katie Taylor, no matter how many times she hears so, will never tire of being tagged as a pioneer. Her seven years in the professional ranks has seen her profile explode, bringing with it the dreams of young girls worldwide.
Of course, there was scepticism, but Matchroom have ran Taylor through their machine to which she has prevailed a superstar.
Now her eventual homecoming feels like the zenith of this remarkable journey. But this isn’t one of THOSE homecomings.
You know, bring over a fighter with the punch resistance of a breadstick, watch the inevitable beatdown and let everyone sing their victory song. Oh no.
See, as the two women stood face-to-face, each clutching five belts, it was pretty clear that this is a serious bit of work.
Chantelle Cameron’s career apex would be spoiling the party that Dublin wants on Saturday night. To many, it would seem something of a surprise, but to Cameron and her team this was always the part of the expedition where they stop to eat.
It will be a hostile stop, too.
A patriotic roar will greet Taylor, and a belligerent one will greet Cameron. On away soil, she will have to deal with very obstacle before she is faced with one Katie Taylor.
But with her usual unerring sense of assurance, do not be surprised if she is to leave the Republic with her belts.
What a fight this is.
To Las Vegas, and another fight that has the sport purring.
Devin Haney vs Vasyl Lomachenko is a rare example of boxing perfection. It is a tale of two fighters whose elite skill-sets will be contested amongst a backdrop of friction.
That friction began in 2019, when the ridiculed ‘email champion’ in Haney was eager to shoot high for the pound-for-pound king in Lomachenko. His efforts were deflected, and he was told to go away and ‘achieve’.
With a dented ego, a drop of resentment but a bucket load of talent, Haney spent four years earning the trust of boxing fans, who soon appreciated the level of talent the sport had on its hands.
Things have changed for Lomachenko, too.
A defeat to Teofimo Lopez threw the division off-road and removed the mythology around the Ukrainian - he was there to be beaten.
The tables had turned.
Now, Haney has the royal flush of belts at 135lbs, and with it the negotiating power. Lomachenko has reverted to challenger, a position he hasn’t known since 2018.
Even still, Lomachenko still holds the fort that Haney wants to breach. That of reputation.
The three-weight world champion is, and always will be, regarded as one of the sports’ most masterful fighters. He is a virtuoso of the sweet science, a surgeon with the gloves. He is what you could define as ‘that’ guy.
Which is why this fight, between these two elite-level performers, is worthy of all of our attention.
This is a proper boxing weekend. Enjoy!
Oscar Bevis