Chantelle Cameron defeats Mikaela Mayer in epic to emphasise place among boxing greats

Chantelle Cameron underlined her place among the greats of women's boxing as she defeated Mikaela Mayer by unanimous decision in a thriller to become WBA, WBC and WBO super-welterweight world champion at MPW-06 in Birmingham.

What had been billed as a fight of the year contender did not disappoint as the pound-for-pound superstars fought at a frenetic, unrelenting pace in a bruising main event.

It would be Cameron who emerged victorious as she edged a tight-knit contest 97-93, 97-93, 96-94 on the judges' scorecards, further glossing a stellar resume that already honours her as the only woman to ever defeat the great Katie Taylor in her professional career.

"I just wanted to play with [Mayer]," said Cameron. "If you're going to say you'll stop me, beat me easily... talk is so cheap, and I showed that tonight. Don't talk too much game - you've got to back it.

"I want to do this again. It's up to Mikaela, but I want to do three-minute rounds.

"I'll speak to my team and see if Mikaela wants it, but - [to Mayer] - didn't you say you were going to beat me so bad that I wasn't going to want a rematch?"

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Tempers had flared just a day earlier when Mayer and Cameron needed to be split by security after a physical altercation and fierce war of words at their weigh-in.

It had been a drastic change of tempo to a largely-relaxed build-up between the two pound-for-pound stars, a furious Cameron having promised to "smash her head in".

The tone followed suit from the opening bell as the pair went toe-to-toe in a classic culminating in another volley of insults after the final bell as Mayer suggested she had won the fight.

"I did beat you Chantelle. You are lucky in your little back yard," said Mayer.

"You can have your re-match. Three-minute f****** rounds. If you want to vacate your WBC belt you can do that. It's your prerogative now. I'll just kick your ass even harder.

"But it won't be here. It won't be in the UK. If you want to come to the US you can.

"I outboxed you. I'll go back and rewatched it and give an honest evaluation, but I just beat you.

"If the public says I'm wrong you can have that... my initial feeling is I outboxed her."

The bad blood of Friday's weigh-in flared at the end of the first round when the two bumped shoulders before squaring up on their way back to the corner.

Before then Mayer had sought to make a front foot attack, Cameron though timing her counter shot perfectly to land a left hook.

Cameron continued to look the more dangerous in the second as she stepped into a lunging right hand, but back came Mayer with a right hook to the face while walking her opponent down in the corner.

Mayer was still seeking to find her range in the third, a short right leaving her open to a sharp Cameron counter, to which the American replied with a two-shot combination. Still, though, Cameron appeared content with a back-foot game-plan, leaning well on her timing and reaction to trouble Mayer.

As the distance began to close both began to let their hands go on the inside, Cameron clipping Mayer with a short right hook and Mayer digging into the body during a gritty exchange up-close.

Mayer then found some joy with a thumping right hand to the face of Cameron in the fifth before biting down on her gumshield as the rivals went toe-to-toe with another brutal trade of body shots on the inside.

A relentless pace showed no let-up as both unloaded body shots, before Cameron became the front-foot aggressor in the seventh behind a firm jab and follow-up right hand over the top. By the end of the seventh Cameron was stalking Mayer around the ring, the American unable to tailor the fight to her strengths.

By round nine swelling was evident on the face of both, Mayer wearing a cut to the eye and blood seemingly trickling from that of Cameron such had become a battle of attrition.

The two did notably embrace prior to their latest verbal altercation, no doubt in respect to a toiling contest between two of the sport's elite. Few would begrudge a rematch.