Chantelle Cameron (23-1, 8 KOs), the only woman to have beaten Taylor (25-1, 6 KOs) as a professional, had hoped to be the opponent, given their two-fight series is tied at 1-1. But there would be no decider between the pair with Taylor, The Ring’s No. 1 pound-for-pound female fighter, opting to face Flora Pili for the chance to become undisputed for the third time instead. Now Cameron (23-1, 8 KOs), who sits No.3 in the same rankings, has accused the Irish legend of deliberately avoiding her to ensure she did not end her career on a defeat.

“I just think it’s very disappointing that the trilogy never happened,” Cameron, 35, told The Ring.

“It's the only trilogy in female boxing that should have happened. It was 1-1 and we never did settle the score.

“I feel like there was every excuse in the book for the trilogy not to have happened from her side. If you don’t want it, that’s fine but just hold your hand up and say you don't want to fight me because you don't want to lose on your big night. Just be honest and say it how it is. “I think she's retiring at the perfect time of her career. It's probably good that she did not have the trilogy with me because she would have had two losses on her record.”

The pair first clashed in May 2023 at Dublin’s 3Arena in what was Taylor’s first professional fight on Irish soil. But Cameron spoiled the homecoming party by claiming a majority decision to retain her undisputed junior welterweight crown. Six months later at the same venue, it was Taylor who got the nod on a majority decision to win all the belts at 140 pounds in a result that still rankles Cameron.

Both have only ever lost to each other and a rubber match seemed to make sense for 2024, but Taylor decided to box Amanda Serrano twice instead. It is put to Cameron that her history with Taylor, the Ring, WBA, WBO and IBF junior welterweight champion, means they share a special bond, but she laughs in response.

“You could call it that,” she said. “I think I take it as a compliment that her and her team avoided me. They didn't want the trilogy. They did everything they could for the trilogy not to happen. So I'm going to take it as a massive compliment.

“After she did beat me, she stood in the ring and said she wants to have the trilogy because it's going to be the biggest trilogy in female boxing. There have been so many times where it's actually come out of Katie Taylor's mouth that she wanted a trilogy on camera. “But when it actually comes down to the nitty gritty of it, she says I can't sell out a stadium or that I don't deserve the trilogy. There's all these excuses like trying to throw shade at me.

“But the reality is, who's she having a farewell fight with?”

When asked for a broader perspective of Taylor’s career, which has gleaned undisputed titles at lightweight and junior welterweight, Cameron, the Ring, WBA, WBO and WBC junior middleweight champion, said: “Katie Taylor is an amazing athlete, amazing boxer but at the end of the day, has she really stepped up before?

"She hasn't done the three-minute rounds and she's only ever stepped up to super lightweight.

“I think since my loss to Katie, I've also changed my career; specifically, I've done three-minute rounds. I've stepped up multiple weight categories and look at me now, I'm daring to take on Claressa Shields. Katie Taylor can't say that.

“I've moved on from that now and I really am turning the tide on my own career and I'm doing things that I don't think she would have done.”

More than 80,000 are expected inside Croke to bid farewell to Taylor, arguably the most influential female boxer of all time. But Cameron believes it will not actually be the last we see of the Bray icon.

She said: “Katie Taylor will have a comeback fight. She'll come back and have an exhibition fight with Ronda Rousey. Put it out there now. “It won’t be a proper fight, but an exhibition. I think she's done at championship level. She’s 40 years old now. So if you think about the up and coming girls, Caroline Dubois, Alycia Baumgardner, they'll beat Katie. “So she's right to bow out now. She's bowing out at the right time.”