Chantelle Cameron will need to have certain demands met if she is to agree to a big-money rematch with Katie Taylor after a stressful fight week in Dublin.
Cameron handed Taylor her first defeat as a professional at the 3Arena last Saturday night, with the entire build-up from launch to ring walks focused on her rival's return home after a legendary career. And she admitted that at times she felt disrespected, particularly being made to walk first despite being the defending undisputed champion.
Despite Taylor having a rematch clause which she intends to exercise, the Irishwoman will have to succumb to a few demands in order to get her rematch. While Cameron wasn't overly interested in the event's name, which was marketed as 'Taylor vs Cameron' even though she was the champion, she does want to walk second, and insists the bout must make financial sense.
"I've not really sat down with my team yet, but me and Jamie [Moore, her head coach] have had a few discussions," Cameron told Mirror Fighting during a post-fight media call. "I'll happily take the rematch and I will go back to Dublin, but this time around there's got to be a few changes.
"What champion signs a fight of that magnitude and just accepts everything and doesn't question anything? I didn't ask for any changes or nothing I just agreed to everything and I wasn't treated like the champion that week, I was just treated like I was there to turn up and be part of the occasion, but I knew and my team knew that I was there to win and there to ruin the homecoming."
Cameron was forced to wait in the ring for an uncharacteristically long Taylor ring walk, despite the event taking place at a considerably smaller arena than the likes of Madison Square Garden or Croke Park. The Irishwoman had two songs performed in their entirety, leaving the champion to attempt to stay warm in the ring for a number of minutes.
"If there's going to be a rematch, I'm definitely going to make sure a few things are in my favour this time around," she insisted. "Walking out first I was stood there for a long time, the ring walk was so long and I was having to stay warm and stay focused because, again, everyone was against me.
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"I showed a lot of character and I think that's the main thing is that as proud as I am that I won the fight I'm also glad that I handled fight week, handled all the pressure that was on my shoulders being booed, with everyone overlooking me and not believing in me even though my team believed and knew what I was capable of.
"I think that even though I did win the fight there are other aspects that I did learn about myself and I showed myself a lot that I didn't even know I was capable of so I am proud of myself. It just fuelled a fire in me, I tried not to look too much into [the fight week disrespect] because it could have got a bit frustrating.
"It could have got me a bit angry but it was Katie Taylor's homecoming and while I was defending my belts it was all about Katie Taylor. But it makes it even better for me the fact that I beat her because it makes me a bit happier because I truly did ruin the homecoming.
"The name [Taylor-Cameron] didn't bother me too much, it's just a name isn't it? But walking first? That would have to change. I was standing there for so long and it felt like I was standing there for longer than the actual fight!"
