Chantelle Cameron defeats Elhem Mekhaled on points, now WBC mandatory for Katie Taylor’s 140-pound crown

Chantelle Cameron is once again in the sights of her old rival.

The former undisputed middleweight champion (140 pounds) won the interim WBC title after a majority decision victory over Elhem Mekhaled. Their oddly scored ten-round fight ended with a card at 95-95, overruled by scores of 99-92 and 98-92 for Cameron.

With the win, Cameron (19-1, 8 KOs) is back in position to challenge Irishwoman Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) next year.

In the entertaining affair, Cameron set a blistering pace and maintained that level for all ten rounds. The 33-year-old Briton scored 864 strokes in just 20 minutes.

Mekhaled (17-3, 3 KOs) had her moments, especially toward the end of the fight. She held her ground after Cameron briefly stunned her in round four. The two exchanged blows in center ring, a defining moment for Mekhaled, who weighs 130 pounds for her career. They combined to land 43 punches, each a new high in this action-packed fight.

Cameron quickly regained control in the fifth round, relying on his pure boxing ability and punch count to defeat Mekhaled.

Mekhaled got going late but still struggled to keep up with the tireless Cameron. A high-quality tenth and final round followed in which the pair combined for 194 shots.

It was Mekhaled’s second loss in her last four fights. She lost her undisputed 130-pound title on points to Alycia Baumgardner (15-1, 7 KOs) on February 4 in New York City.

Cameron fought for the first time since her narrow rematch loss to Taylor on November 25 at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, ending her undisputed reign that also included an away win over Taylor at the same venue in May last year.

Taylor and Cameron are responsible for each other’s only career losses, and Saturday’s fight could force a trilogy, depending on the outcome of Taylor’s scheduled rematch with Amanda Serrano (46-2-1, 30 KOs) in November.

Cameron-Mekhaled aired live on ESPN+ in the U.S. and TNT Sports in the U.K. The fight was part of the latest installment of Queensberry Promotions’ “Magnificent 7” series.

The headliner of the show was Brad Pauls stopping undefeated Nathan Heaney in the 12th and final round of their middleweight rematch.

Pauls (19-1-1, 11 KOs) and Heaney (18-1-1, 5 KOs) fought a thrilling 12-round fight that ended in a draw on March 16. The continuation was not quite as hard-fought, as Pauls immediately attacked his compatriot, knocking him down twice.

In the fight’s closing moments, Pauls pounded Heaney with a series of right hands. A final left hook and overhand right sent Heaney crashing into the ropes. Referee Michael Alexander counted him out at 0:53 of the 12th round.

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