WORDS like ‘icon’ and ‘legend’ are thrown around an awful lot in professional sports, often unjustly. But when discussing Katie Taylor these nouns are simply unavoidable.

Women’s boxing wouldn’t be as respected and accepted globally as it is today with the career of Ireland’s greatest modern-day sportsperson.

The 36-year-old has done it all, amateur and pro; gold medals, world titles, multiple weights, undisputed reigns. She’s completed the game and practically always as the main attraction.

All that is missing is a homecoming, and that comes this weekend.

Taylor returns to Dublin for the first time as a pro contesting her 23rd fight and, typically, she’s chosen the toughest challenge possible.

HISTORIC

In the first ever fight between two undefeated and undisputed reigning world champions, Taylor steps up to super-lightweight to challenge Chantelle Cameron at the 3Arena in Dublin.

Cameron, 32, is 17-0 and has spent the last three years collecting all the marbles at 140lb.

The Northampton nightmare bullied and boxed her way through five champions to unify the division and arrives in Ireland as the naturally bigger, stronger fighter.

🇮🇪 Katie Taylor and 🇬🇧 Chantelle Cameron come head to head for the first time on fight week ahead of Saturday's huge undisputed clash in Dublin. #TaylorCameronpic.twitter.com/57O3UTv09Z

— EverythingBoxing (@EverythingBoxi2) May 16, 2023

Taylor, of course, has much more big fight experience and enters the ring for her 17^th consecutive world title fight knowing she’s won a world title up at this weight before.

Back in 2019, she briefly held one of the all too many world title belts before returning to her natural weight class and continue her reign as undisputed.

It was almost a year later before Cameron would even get her hands on a first world title.

10 ROUNDS

Stylistically, Cameron is the best matchup for Taylor. She’s bigger, stronger and younger than the veteran, with a lot less miles on the clock.

She can box at range and stick to a gameplan, whilst also having the make-up to go toe-to-toe and slug it out when she needs to. She’ll likely need all of that and more when the bell sounds in Dublin.

Taylor has had some close calls go her way recently too. Her decision over Delfine Persoon in 2019 was heavily debated, although put beyond doubt by Taylor in their rematch.

Scouser Natasha Jonas, now the unified light-middleweight champion, pushed Taylor very close on the cards too. Whilst last year, in the Fight of the Year, she had another single round swing go her way against Amanda Serrano.

Indeed, the Serrano rematch made most sense for Taylor’s Irish homecoming, but an injury to the Puerto Rican star left a vacancy that needed filling.

It’s testament to Taylor’s mentality that she opted for Cameron.

It’s a historic contest, a chance to claim undisputed status in a second weight class, and a really dangerous opponent that comes to won’t be intimidated by the moment.

They’ve both come way too far since their 2011 semi-final bout at the European Amateur Championships to look too hard at that fight.

But Taylor took that decision in Poland and, back at home for the first in potentially a series of swansong fights, Taylor should be cute enough to edge just enough of the rounds to get over the line.

NICK’S TIP