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WBC 140 lb titlist Chantelle Cameron will make her U.S. debut on Saturday, featuring on DAZN’s Haney-Linares undercard with a title defense against Melissa Hernandez.
Cameron and Hernandez were meant to fight earlier this year, but Cameron (13-0, 7 KO) was involved in a car accident and the fight was delayed from March until now. Hernandez has said she didn’t buy the “excuse,” which has lit a bit of a fire under the 30-year-old Brit.
“She’s just a hype job, she chats shit saying I pulled out because I wasn’t ready and the injury was a lie,” said Cameron. “Listen, if I wasn’t ready and was making excuses, I could have just said I had COVID instead of a car crash. Who lies about having a car crash? That’s just stupid.
“That has put a bit of fire in me and I’m glad, because it’s given me an extra hunger and I will make her eat her words because she’s nothing to be scared of. She’s a trash talker, I’m not, I do my business in the ring. Let her do her thing and I’ll do mine, but as soon as that bell goes, I’ll turn savage.”
How to Watch Haney vs Linares
Date: Saturday, May 29 | Start Time: 8:00 pm ET
Location: Michelob Ultra Arena - Las Vegas, NV
Streaming: DAZN
Online Coverage: BadLeftHook.com
Cameron won the vacant title last October, beating a well overweight Adriana Araujo in England by shutout decision over 10 rounds. Cameron saying Hernandez (23-7-3, 7 KO) is a “hype job” may be a bit of a stretch, in that it would require anyone hyping Hernandez as her opponent.
Hernandez is a former titlist, but it was at featherweight, so three divisions below this week, and it was eight years ago that she lost that belt. She’s now 41 years old and has had a grand total of one fight since 2016, a win over Mario Barrios’ sister Selina in 2019.
Realistically, this is just about taking care of business, getting active, and making a title defense for Cameron. There isn’t a whole lot to gain with a win here, but obviously she has a lot to lose if she comes up short.
“We don’t overlook anyone, I’m not disrespectful and I’m zoned in on her. I have to get through Melissa, she’s tough, but I feel my journey isn’t stopping here, it’s going forward,” Cameron said. “I refuse to lose. Whatever it takes, I will do it to win, because I know what the future can hold for me if I perform well and win.”
And beyond just losing a belt, Cameron would lose her spot for a possible fight at some point with Katie Taylor, the lightweight queen and former 140 lb titlist. Beyond Taylor, Cameron has an interesting list of opponents she’d like to face, including a pair of bantamweights for some reason.
“I want to be in the big fights,” she said. “Katie Taylor, Natasha Jonas, Terri Harper, Shannon Courtenay, Ebanie Bridges, all those fights, because I don’t feel like I have had my moments yet.”