Boxing: Cameron confident he can win fight early

Boxer Shane Cameron is confident his title bout with Australian-based Roger Izonritei tomorrow night will finish inside the distance.

Cameron, the Australasian heavyweight champion, is challenging for Izonritei's IBF Pan Pacific belt. Also on the line is the vacant WBA Pan Africa title.

Izonritei's record of 11 wins and four losses is notable for the fact that each contest ended with a knockout.

Cameron, the "Mountain Warrior", has 13 KOs in an undefeated 15-fight professional career.

He said yesterday that his preparations for the Auckland fight were right on track and he felt in top shape having put in the necessary work in the gym, with plenty of quality sparring.

"It definitely won't be going 12 rounds," he said.

"If it does, there's something wrong. I'm conditioned to go 12 rounds but I don't know whether he is."

Cameron, 28, described Nigerian-born Izonritei as the probably the biggest puncher he had ever faced.

"I've seen a couple of Roger's fights and he sets everything up for his right hand," he said.

Cameron was due to fight Izonritei last year but had to pull out because of a groin injury, which sidelined him for five months.

His last outing was a second-round TKO victory over former kickboxer Iriwa Te Rangi in Kerikeri in May.

Izonritei is the brother of David Izonritei, who fought former world title challenger David Tua at both amateur and professional level.

He beat Tua at the 1992 Olympics, where he won silver and Tua bronze, but was stopped by the Aucklander in the 12th round four years later.

- NZPA