Chantelle Cameron – WBC Super-Lightweight World Champion – has joined the Grosvenor Sport family ahead of the upcoming Road to Undisputed, where she could get her hands on SIX title belts and become the Undisputed Champion of the division.
Chantelle is deep in training ahead of her fight with Mary McGee on October 30, but she took a hard-earned break to talk about getting into boxing, creating sporting history and even Saturday night’s big fight between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder in Las Vegas.
Round 1 – Getting started
It all started with kickboxing when I was 10. I loved playfighting, I was obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer(!) and naturally just wanted to get into the ring. I turned to boxing when I was 18, boxed for Team GB for eight years before turning professional when I was 25.
I was never really looking to make a life out of boxing because, for women, it wasn’t really a big thing at the time. But I’d reached a stage in kickboxing where nothing was happening – there was no one to fight, I was beating everyone and it was costing a lot. My dad’s my biggest fan but he was working his socks off to keep me in the gym and in these tournaments.
In 2012, things changed when it was announced that women’s boxing would be allowed in the Olympics. My kickboxing coach said: “You’re really good with your hands, see how it goes and you could make a career out of it.”
So I gave it a go, and it just grew from there.
Round 2 – Road to Undisputed
I’d heard whispers that the competition was coming, but this is boxing. A lot of things are said and a lot of things can change, so I try not to listen until things are signed, sealed, delivered! But when my coach Jamie [Moore] said it was happening, I just thought ‘wow, what an opportunity.’ Before I knew it, the first press conference had come around and it all became real.
We’re making history with this. It’s never happened before in women’s boxing so being a part of it is exciting and motivating in itself. But the fact that I can get all my hands on six belts in just two fights? That’s the dream. Bloody hell, talk about just getting in there and getting it over and done with. Two fights and it can happen.
To be number one, to clean up the belts, to be the only World Champion in that division. That’s what I want. Who wants to be a world champion but share the belts? Like in the UFC, I just want there to be one champion. And I want it to be me!
Round 3 – Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder
It’ll be a great fight again. Fury’s dominated them both so far but I don’t know, this time could be different.
Wilder’s been working on his technical ability; he’s been working on how to box and that could be the difference. Fury is one of my favourite boxers so my heart wants him to win, but my gut thinks Wilder could pull it off. He wants that win, he wants his belt back, he wants redemption.
It could be tough for Fury to motivate himself for a third time. For me, I’d want to face someone new and fresh, someone different and a new challenge. Who wants to be going over the same old opponent when there’s so many more out there?
If Wilder doesn’t land clean, it’ll be Fury all night again. He can’t box as well as Fury – I don’t think anyone can except Usyk – but if Deontay gets through then an upset could be on the cards.
Check out the latest Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder odds here, and keep an eye out for big fight specials on Grosvenor Sport this weekend.
We’ll have more from Chantelle every week in the build-up to her fight, but keep it here for exclusive insight ahead of the big one on October 30.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.