SHORTLY after Jake Paul pushed his way past Mike Tyson, his DMs were filled with the usual thank you letters from fans. This time, the most essential information came from other, seemingly more legal sources.

IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois was the latest large name to give Paul a shot at the belt. The YouTuber-turned-boxer replied that he would consult his business partner about contacting Warren, adding, tongue-in-cheek, that he would put Dubois in line for the throne.

That last comment is perhaps a little closer to the truth than some might admit. If the throne is a large wad of money, created by probably the most celebrated “boxer” in the world today, Dubois does indeed have to get in line and wait for his chance. An opportunity, realistically speaking, that won’t come any time soon.

While Paul has a habit of linking his name to Canelo, the Mexican superstar has so far treated the call with the disdain it deserves. While Paul may yet win a fixed version of a world title, given all the sanctioning body shenanigans, fledgling weight classes, dodgy titles and even more dodgy swirling around top 15 opponents, he’s clearly a league below many people reaching for a decent scrap.

Mairis Briedis is a former world champion who negotiated 24 arduous rounds against Jai Opetai and pushed Oleksandr Usyk like no other in the Ukrainian’s career. However, Briedis got a tattoo of Paul on his leg and then dressed up as the video game character Super Mario in response to Paul deliberately changing his name.

Artur Beterbiev even offered Paul a chance, declaring that it was time for him to finally rise to the challenge and face real competition. Avoiding and avoiding a completely unlikely scenario, Paul responded to the offer by stating that he trained in boxing and would call the shots when the need arose. Basking in the fact that one of the best fighters in the world comes to him for a bit of strength, a few months after defeating rival Dmitry Bivol.

By first assigning his name to more established boxers, Paul twisted things to the point that proven boxers were doing promotional work on his behalf. The amount of money Jake Paul generates is certainly a factor, but his name has so much value that even having a few newsworthy lines next to it is worth a day or two of boosting your profile.

Paweł is a marketing master. Whether you’re dancing around faded legends like Tyson or beating substandard fighters from other disciplines, all at a comparable barely British standard, you’ll be jumping and screaming to the nearest shore when the champions call for it!

So far, the 27-year-old has not taken up any of these offers. Although he apparently took Dubois’ proposal seriously, he later backed out. The most positive thing currently happening with this up-to-date trend is that as long as its roadshow lasts, a collection of boxers will continue to ride the same wave, through undercards and standalone appearances, cashing in on the excitement and exposure.

“It took a long time to get here. But now everything is really fine for me.” Opening words from a fighter who often swam against the tide in her long and often problematic boxing career.

Sports haven’t always treated Chantelle Cameron kindly. Perhaps the understatement of any year. But she seems the happiest she’s ever been. The recent transition to Frank Warren has revived many things. A player who simply wanted to be treated more as a priority. A warrior who just wanted a little love and understanding.

“It would be a love-hate relationship to explain my boxing career,” Cameron said. “When I love it, I’m in a very good place. But when I hate something, I just can’t care less. But it’s all I’ve done since I was a kid, so it’s solid to let go of it. The highs are so high and the lows are so low, with very little in between. It’s obviously great that I’m making money, but in some ways it’s better if it’s just a hobby.”

Cameron says during gloomy times there were thoughts of leaving. “Many times I have wondered what the point is. The money is obviously good once you get to that level. But is it really worth it mentally? I talked about it all the time with people I’m close to. It’s a very demanding job. But I built some very sturdy arms. Now I just ride the ups and downs. I just swim with them. I’ve been involved in this sport for a long time and I think I’m only now getting used to it.

“I love fighting and why would I leave because of all the politics in this sport. I love fighting and I’m good at it, and leaving would be cowardly. I won’t let others push me out of the sport. I’ll go when I say so. It’s like a drug. This sport is so addictive that you are always waiting for the next portion of excitement. That’s why so many boxers struggle in retirement, because that’s the hardest part. What is your goal now. You have no structure.”

Cameron is currently writing his final chapter in the sport. But the ambitions are still high. The former undisputed super lightweight world champion hopes her career will end with redemption, revenge and closure. But even though the fire still burns, there is one eye on life without boxing.

“I’m planning now. I arrange everything. I’m starting my own gym. I find myself in the right position, so I’m one of those boxers who comes out cheerful. I don’t want to be someone who always comes back, knowing that my body can’t do it anymore, but my brain won’t let up. I want to leave the sport when I want and I know I will be stable once I leave. I have very good people around me, so I am very blessed.

Two incredible fights with Katie Taylor in 2023 were marred by internal politics that overshadowed two truly memorable nights. As a result, the emotional victory over Taylor in Dublin in their first meeting has been somewhat lost in history. Then the story should be primarily about Cameron and that notable victory. Unfortunately, the praise did not reach her. The narrative always lied elsewhere. But Cameron still has positive memories of that first fight, despite everything that came after.

“I beat the Queen of Boxing on her homecoming. I did what I set out to do, I became undisputed and cemented it by beating Katie Taylor. I finished boxing. That’s why I’m in a better mind space now. I have a good team around me. What a situation to find yourself in. How many people can say they achieved what they set out to do? I have nothing to prove to anyone and now I’m going to have some fun.

Cameron fought her first fight under the Queensberry banner in July, scoring a points win over the incredibly tough Elhem Mekhaled in Birmingham. In many ways, it was a fight from which lessons were learned.

“I felt very bad. I had a sinus and chest infection,” Cameron says of his first appearance since losing his undefeated record to Taylor in Dublin. “I had to fight. I had to get over the loss with Katie. This was my debut at Queensberry. This was one of them where I knew I had to fight. Recently, many women have been inactive in women’s boxing. As for me, I was assigned a date and a chance and I just had to go through with it. This doesn’t take anything away from my opponent. She was a tough and good opponent, but honestly, I was very infirmed. But I’ve learned my lesson and I won’t fight next time if I’m that frail again.”

The road back to regaining her world titles continues, on November 2 she fought against former world champion Patricia Berghult. The goal of this fight was to make a real statement and send a miniature warning to her opponents.

“I just want to put on a good performance,” Cameron assured before the fight. “I’m not going to pat myself on the back for my last performance because I know I can do much better. I want to remind everyone who the top super lightweight fighter in the world is. I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself, but at the same time I have to show what I can do. I have changed a lot since the change of coaches and I have to show it now.

“I’m so grateful that Queensberry is activating me because a lot of girls don’t come out. I am not complacent and I approach these fights as if they were fighting for the world title. Ultimately, if you become complacent, this is how you will be exposed. I’m just cheerful to be vigorous and get into fights.”

A victory over Berghult should put Cameron back on the gigantic stage in 2025. With Taylor and Amanda Serrano settling their differences, the super lightweight rankings should be a little clearer. But make no mistake, Cameron wants Taylor again. A rivalry he considers unfinished business.

“I want the Katie Taylor trilogy. I want my chance at redemption. That’s why this will always be my top priority. That’s what I want and it would be a real shame if that third fight never happened. But you can’t force someone to do what they don’t want to do.”

If the path back to the world titles is blocked at 140, Cameron also has options to seek novel challenges at welterweight. The fight with IBF champion Natasha Jonas has been brewing in the background for a long time. Two friends who would have no problem sharing a ring together. However, Mikaela Mayer, currently a two-weight world champion thanks to her recent hard-fought victory over Sandy Ryan in Modern York that gave the American the WBO welterweight title, is now also a real possibility. “I would love to fight Mikaela Mayer, I have a lot of respect for her,” Cameron says about a possible fight with Mayer.

But whoever Cameron faces next, if she overtakes Berghult in November, she has plenty of options ahead of her.

I want to take part in gigantic fights and become world champion again. But I just want to be cheerful and enjoy fighting again.” These last words are probably crucial for Chantelle Cameron. Boxing was both cruel and kind to her. The warrior is sometimes misrepresented, her words taken out of context. But a lot has changed recently. The change of promoter rekindled her love for the sport and reminded her of everything that could be good in boxing. Cameron seems really cheerful. This may be her biggest victory in her career so far.

IT WAS the summer of 2018 when Jai Opetaia and his father-trainer Tapu were returning from boxing after a long day.

The talented Olympian, who had gone 15-0 in the first three years of his professional career, was so broke that he barely had enough gas to get home and wondered whether the sport he had devoted his life to would ever pay off.

As Opetaia remembers that day, she stops. “Fuck, you touched me,” he says, wiping the tears from his eyes and rubbing them on his jogging pants.

“I remember that trip home very vividly. we just didn’t have any coin, we were having a shitty day and we were like, “What the hell does that make sense?” We both talked about quitting boxing and joining the local soccer club.

“We gave boxing everything we had, but we got nothing in return. People don’t know what a rollercoaster I was on. Recalling moments like these from where I am now only shows the fruits of my labor. It makes everything sweeter.”

In the six years since that day, Opetaia has gone 25-0, 19 KOs, and is the current IBF cruiserweight champion and arguably the best 200-pound fighter in the world. On Saturday, he will defend his title for the fourth time in his third fight in a row in Saudi Arabia, where he is the clear favorite of Turki Alalshikh.

Money is not so crucial these days, but the fire inside still burns. There are warriors who wear their hearts on their sleeves, and then there is Opetaia.

“I think I was about 18 before I got my first paycheck,” he says. “Because my fights were so spread out and it was so challenging to get on cards in Australia, I had to invest in myself. C***s have no idea what a fucking journey we’ve been through, man.

“People now see Saudi cards and stuff like that, but they haven’t invested in themselves. They win a few fights and expect high earnings, and that means they miss out on good opportunities. At first, we just wanted opportunities. We went for every possible card. We were losing money on fight cards, we weren’t selling tables, we were in the trenches.

“Whether it was money for sparring or training camps, we didn’t have money for fuel to get to the Sydney sparring session. It was challenging for us, but we found a way and got the cards. It’s been one hell of a journey and that’s why it means so much to me.

That victory over Mairis Briedis in July 2022 not only clinched his world title, but also catapulted him to superstardom. However, it was a victory that kept him out of the ring for over a year, as he broke both sides of his jaw at the hands of the Latvian.

“I know I deserve to be here because I went through these challenging times,” he says. “Those frail points and that wasn’t the only one. Eating through a straw for four months was one of them too, those are mind games. I’ve been there and picked myself up off the ground, so now I know what I have to do.

“Even when I broke my arm, I was in a cast for nine months and weighed about 117 kg, I was coming back from the injury. I thought my career was over and that was the fight before Briedis. I went into surgery and was in a cast for nine months and then I got really fat and fat. I drank alcohol and that was it. I was a nobody then, I was a dead nobody.

“I remember my first session, I went to the gym and did two rounds of jumping, punched the bag for two rounds, and then I sat down and just said, ‘My career is over.’ I honestly thought that was it… but 12 months later I beat Briedis. The emotional rollercoaster I’ve been through is fucking crazy.

“And you know what the key is: just show up. That’s all, just show up. Get there. The hardest part is just getting into the gym. The alarm goes off early in the morning and you just think, “What the fuck is going on?” Once you’re in the gym, you’re in business. The hardest thing was to play consistently but achieve absolutely nothing and believe in a goal that was so far away. But now that we’re here, it’s crazy.”

He’s the clear favorite on Saturday night, when 31-year-old Jack Massey tries to turn the cruiserweight division upside down with an unexpected victory. Given the intensity with which Opetaia speaks, it’s tough to imagine him disrespecting anyone, especially considering he now has another mouth to feed on back home. He and his partner welcomed their first child, Lyla Robyn Opetaia, on July 1, marking his first fight as a father.

“It’s a strange set of emotions, but it’s all part of it,” says Opetaia, who left Australia for England in September and will only return after the fight.

“It needs to be done, it adds fuel to the fire, and we are here for a specific purpose. We’re not here to waste time, we have work to do and then I can go home and spend money on my family.

“The birth was a good experience. I cried, I couldn’t stop. Everyone asked if I cried when the baby was born – brother, I cried before, during and after, emotions came and went. It was an amazing journey.

“I was often around children. We are Pacific Islanders, with children everywhere in our huge families. There’s a gigantic age difference between my brothers and sisters, so I’m kind of used to having kids at home.

“Having my own body is obviously a different feeling, but I’ve been waiting for it for a long time. When you have a good partner, life becomes much easier. He’s been there since day one, he knows when I’m gone I have to flip the switch to turn into a warrior. That’s why I don’t come to many fights because it’s tough for me to reconcile my gentle side with my aggression.

“She knows all about it. We’ve been together for 13 years, childhood sweetheart, it’s been a journey, brother. She was the breadwinner when I had nothing. We started from fucking scratch.
Another person who accompanied Opetai on almost every step of his journey is Tapu. However, Saturday night will be their first fight together in almost three years and their first with Opetaia as champion.

Opetaia in action during his last fight against Mairis Briedis. (Peter Wallis/Getty Images)

Having coached the first 21 fights of his son’s professional career, the couple separated. However, in this case, they are reunited and Opetaia Jr is adamant that it is worth the risk.

“There were a few things we disagreed on, a few issues,” Opetaia says of the initial breakup. “But we have moved forward and developed as people, so I felt the break was good for us. Now we are back together and moving forward, so everything is positive.

“That’s good. It’s back to basics, man. Coming back to capabilities and skills, stop trying to knock everyone’s heads off. I’m going back to what brought me here and I feel like I’ll show it in this fight.

“I’ve changed a lot since he was last in my corner, which was the fight before I won the title. They’re two completely different people, man. Entering and exiting the ring. It was fun finding that balance and it took a few weeks, but we found it and I feel like it’s going to work. That’s good.

“He’s a great boxing coach, in my opinion one of the best. I feel like it was the right move, it was astute, and I feel like everything is positive. There is always risk, there will always be change, but you have to adapt to change. I feel good and I feel this will take us to the next level.

With this, Opetaia is ready. Six years had passed since the conversation that almost ended the pursuit, but he had never looked back.