Jessica McCaskill believes that Chantelle Cameron “deserves” a trilogy fight with Katie Taylor – and also that a third fight between them is essential in continuing to elevate women’s boxing.

Cameron, 32, conceded the undisputed super lightweight title when in November she lost to Taylor via majority decision, six months after defeating her 37-year-old rival via a majority decision, and a year on from becoming the undisputed champion by earning a unanimous decision over McCaskill.

She has since split with Jamie Moore and replaced him as her trainer with Grant Smith, but after a third fight with Taylor appearing inevitable, she wrote on social media that she no longer believes it will next take place.

“I have agreed to a massive purse reduction to make this fight happen financially as this was what I was told was the hold up from the fight being agreed,” she posted. “The reason is because I wanted to create my own legacy.

“Now it looks like Katie will take a ‘keep busy’ fight to avoid me as I think she knows that certain things that went her way in the last fight won’t happen again.”

Cameron and her team complained, post-fight, about the treatment she received that night from the referee Roberto Ramirez, believing that the Puerto Rican official made a costly mistake by missing a knockdown when Taylor touched down in the opening round, and also ignoring Taylor’s tactic of clinching.

McCaskill, who lost to Taylor in 2017 but is preparing to defend her WBA welterweight title against Lauren Price at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff, Wales on May 11, also felt that night that Cameron was done a disservice, and therefore that a third fight is the only suitable solution. 

“I would love to see that for Chantelle Cameron, because she’s earned it,” said the American, at 39 ten years older than Price. “It’s very easy to say ‘I got my lick back’ and then run away. That’s not only for the individuals, but for female boxing to have a trilogy – that’s epic. We want to have something to talk about in the future. Chantelle deserves that, and if they don’t give it to her, they’re mad.

“I saw some controversial things in the second one, where there was a very clear, clean knockdown and it did not get called as a knockdown. Boxing can be really messy, and there can be rules that are bent or broken or changed or invented at the last minute. There should be a trilogy and they can work it out, and the winner goes home.

“There’s a lot of punch-hold going on nowadays in female boxing, which is not impressive. When you change your game plan to be something like that the other person should get the opportunity to come back and be able to defend against that. There’s rules. 

“‘Don’t hold.’ But then when you get in there – the other person’s holding and what can you do? You need everybody to play their part. The judges are supposed to be fair and judge, and the referee is supposed to be fair and to hold everybody accountable for themselves. It’s a little rough to see someone win like that.”