Sports reporter Howard Dobson has defended breaking down over boxer Shane Cameron's defeat this week, saying he was simply touched.

The TV3 Sports Tonight reporter - known as Dobbo - broke down while being interviewed about Cameron's defeat to Danny Green in Melbourne on Wednesday.

"I hadn't been to bed for two days, I'd just seen a man broken in his dressing room, oh mate, it just touched me. It really touched me," he said.

"I suppose it's just witnessing someone ... the love that was in that dressing room just touched me."

Dobson told RadioLive late yesterday that he had known Cameron for around 10 years.

Seeing Cameron at his lowest point, then, had been tough.

"It was just very emotional in there. He broke down in his father's arms and then just to see him being stitched up by the doctor ..."

Dobson was interviewed for the station's breakfast show on Thursday, hours after Cameron was heavily beaten by Green at the IBO work cruiserweight fight.

"He's a staggering chap. He's, um, done New Zealand proud," Dobson said, before choking up.

"He wants to carry on ... he needs to recover, um, but he'll be back," he said and choked up again.