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Home / Sport / Boxing

Is Sonny Bill set for Shane Cameron showdown?

Patrick McKendry
By Patrick McKendry
Reporter·APNZ·
14 Feb, 2012 04:30 PM4 mins to read

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Sonny Bill Williams celebrates winning the Battle for the Belt bout against Clarence Tillman III at Claudelands Event Centre. Photo / Getty Images

Sonny Bill Williams celebrates winning the Battle for the Belt bout against Clarence Tillman III at Claudelands Event Centre. Photo / Getty Images

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The winner of the Shane Cameron v Monte Barrett fight in May will earn the right to challenge Sonny Bill Williams for his new title.

In a dramatic development that could quickly put Williams' skills in and out of the ring to the supreme test, New Zealand Professional Boxing Association president Lance Revill has agreed to give the Cameron v Barrett fight in Auckland an "eliminator" status.

That means either Cameron or Barrett, both highly experienced heavyweights, will be the No.1 contenders to fight All Black and part-time boxer Williams for the NZPBA title.

New Zealander Cameron is the former holder of Williams' belt - vacating it when moving to cruiserweight - and American Barrett is in the process of becoming a New Zealand resident.

Williams, who beat American Clarence Tillman III in the first round in Hamilton last week to win the title, must "actively" defend the belt within 12 months or relinquish it, which will put pressure on his manager Khoder Nasser to agree to a showdown.

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Nasser did not return calls last night but it's thought unlikely he will agree to Williams, who has five wins from five in his short professional fight career, fighting such seasoned pros as Cameron or Barrett.

Such a prospect will almost certainly result in defeat and possibly injury for Williams, despite him making a step up in class to fight Tillman.

Barrett, a 40-year-old who halted David Tua's career last year, has a 35-win (20 by knockout), nine-loss, two-drawn record from 46 professional fights. He said he was looking forward to the prospect - in fact he would like to fight Cameron, who has a 28-win, 2-loss record, and Williams on the same night.

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"They're both light work as far as I'm concerned. Sonny Bill Williams has nothing to offer to me," he said from his New Jersey home last night. "I could fight them with an hour's break or maybe even back to back. When you think about it, Sonny Bill, he's 26 years old, he's a young lad, he won't be able to do the business with me in the ring. I figure let me kill two birds with one stone. Let me beat up on Shane a little bit and then I'll dust Sonny Bill off right after that.

"He's a rugby player and he's good at what he does from what I hear. But when I'm finished with him he won't put on another pair of gloves again. It's a dog sport, you know. He'd be better off running up and down the field kicking a ball."

Cameron's manager Ken Reinsfield said his man wasn't thinking about Williams.

"Our focus is 100 per cent on Monte Barrett. This is probably Shane's most important fight to date.

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"Shane's been a professional fighter for 10 years and has fought some brutal fights. Sonny Bill has fought against guys who have never fought before."

David Higgins of Duco Events, the company promoting the Cameron v Barrett fight, said he would put up about $500,000 to entice Williams into the ring.

"I expect what will happen is that Khoder Nasser will come up with some well-thought out excuses and not allow it. If he did allow it it would be a huge fight like Tua-Cameron," Higgins said.

The Tua-Cameron fight in 2009 ended in a resounding victory to Tua.

It is thought that Williams' first defence of his title will be in May and could be against Richard Tutaki, who he was scheduled to fight last week until Tutaki was arrested on drugs charges.

Chiefs midfielder Williams' New Zealand Rugby Union contract allows him to fight up to three times a year.

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Revill said he was confident Williams could give a good account of himself. "I've been speaking to the guys that he's been sparring with and they're all credible fighters and they all say that he's got a huge ring presence, he's got a punch, he's big and he's hard to get through so I think it will take some beating to dethrone Sonny Bill Williams of his heavyweight title."

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