When Mikaela Mayer and Chantelle Cameron faced off for the first time in April, hyping up a potential fight, there was a feeling we might get one of the biggest match-ups in women's boxing before the year was out.
Mayer had just stepped off the Sky Sports broadcast, while the sweat still dripped off Cameron, who had just gone 12 rounds to win another world title.
But, almost straight away, there were potential stumbling blocks. The weight, location and length and number of rounds were all ready to get in the way, as those pesky minor details tend to do in boxing; a sport that, at times, is desperate to fall over its own feet.
Mayer, the WBC and WBA champion at junior middleweight, wanted the fight to remain at 154 pounds. Cameron, who had that night in April won the WBO title in the same class, wanted it at welterweight for Mayer's WBC title, saying she wasn't a natural 154-pound fighter. Cameron also wanted 12 three-minute rounds, while Mayer insisted on 10 two-minute rounds, due to the WBC not permitting three-minute rounds.
Both fighters, naturally, would have preferred to fight on home soil. There was a lot to get through. While there was excitement, fans have been scarred by the disappointment the sport so often brings, so there was also apprehension.
Thankfully, the fighters drove the deal ... And it was done relatively quickly. They both just wanted to make the damn fight.
Compromise, not a word too often associated with boxing negotiations, is evident on both sides. The bout will be contested at a 148-pound catchweight, which means Cameron gets close to what she prefers while three belts remain up for grabs. However, Cameron has accepted a fight of 10 two-minute rounds -- Mayer's preference.
Egos were parked and concessions were made. Cameron said she didn't haggle over things like whose name was on the poster first (yes, that happens) or the length of rounds. Mayer insisted that, by holding two belts, she had more leverage but she also gave things up in the deal.
"In hindsight, I'm looking at all the things I gave up and I'm like yeah, stupid," Mayer says, half-jokingly.
"But there are reasons behind it."
The ultimate reason? To get the fight made. They both know that women's boxing depends on it.
Speaking to ESPN, Cameron had a message for other fighters who proclaim they want the big scraps but don't always follow through with the end product. She knows how it feels to miss out on a big dance.
Cameron chased a trilogy bout with Katie Taylor for months after beating the Irish icon then losing the rematch in 2023. It remains one apiece and feels like unfinished business, although with Taylor retiring after her next fight, the score will never be settled. Cameron must live with that. She will carry that burden, even if she knows she did everything she could to make the trilogy.
But allowing other big fights fall through isn't on her agenda anymore.
"Make these fights. Women's boxing took a bit of a dip [recently] ... There's a lot of trash talking online and [people saying] 'I want to fight you' -- just fight," Cameron says.
"Just get the fights done and give the fans what they want. Social media and talking up a big fight is great ... But do it."
Mayer has also found herself stuck on the boat after a big fish gets away too many times. A rematch with Alycia Baumgardner never happened ... Probably never will. A long talked-about undisputed fight with Lauren Price never worked out, while she continues to push for an all-American, all-action clash with Claressa Shields.
Without these bouts -- these attention-grabbing events that force fans to tune in -- women's boxing faces an uphill battle to gain momentum. At this stage of their careers, Mayer, 36, and Cameron 35, have both been enamoured by boxing and been hurt by it.
It should come as no surprise, then, that they forced a deal through. Time is of the essence.
"I would say it's the easiest pound-for-pound match-up that's ever been made because both fighters really wanted to do it," MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian told ESPN.
"Both were very realistic about what the market demand."
Mayer-Cameron is a fight for belts, money, status, and most important to them both: legacy.
It's a risky fight. Titles will change hands, a record worsened. One ego will be dented, while the other will go through the roof ... But they're both willing to roll the dice. They understand that without doing so, women's boxing will not grow.
"I've been waiting for people to catch on to that ... You've got to be willing to take the risks and make the biggest fights," Mayer tells ESPN.
"That's the only way we're going to keep this sport alive and growing. That's the legacy I'm going to have when I hang it up ... I fought the best fights, and I always challenged myself and did what I had to."
Bidarian says Mayer is "the whole package" when it comes to an American athlete: The accolades, the Olympic pedigree and the talk to match her ability. But that's of little value without a suitable opponent. Cameron remains the only fighter to have beaten Taylor as a professional. She has been undisputed at junior welterweight and despite enduring some dark days after losing to Taylor in the rematch, says legacy for her isn't about getting the belts back.
"It's about names. It's names I want more than belts," she explains. "I think belts are great, but I've been undisputed. I beat [Jessica] McCaskill who was undisputed, Katie Taylor who was undisputed. I've done them. For me now it's the names, the nights and just cementing my career and resume."
Mayer and Cameron will meet in the ring again ... This time Mayer will have boxing boots and gloves on instead of the heels and rings she sported on the broadcast in April.
Regardless of how the fight unfolds, they'll hope a simple message gets through to their peers.
Make the damn fights.
