IF overcoming adversity was a sport then Liam Cameron would have been a world champion on a couple of event.
Cameron’s story might discover a house on the large display someday and won’t depart a dry eye in the home. This real-life drama is now getting into its third act, nonetheless, and strikes to his identified territory of the boxing ring in Bolton tomorrow night time (June 21).
The 33-year-old from Sheffield takes on Manchester’s Lyndon Arthur in a lightweight heavyweight essential occasion reside on Channel 5 with the WBA Inter-Continental strap at stakes. For Cameron, nonetheless, it’s greater than that.
“It’s the World Cup ultimate, isn’t it, as Steve Bunce mentioned on Channel 5 final week. World Cup ultimate for me,” he tells Boxing Information.
That is Cameron’s world title battle. A win towards Arthur would shoot the profession of the ‘Cannonball’ larger than ever and should reward him with a WBA high 15 rating or someplace shut.
In January 2020 Cameron’s life was travelling to a vacation spot unknown when he retired from boxing. His determination centred across the occasions following his first Commonwealth middleweight title defence towards Nicky Jenman. The preliminary TKO win for Cameron was modified to a no-contest when the winner examined constructive for traces (25 nanograms) of benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. Cameron was banned by UKAD from the game for 4 years.
One week after his punishment was confirmed, Cameron spoke to Elliot Worsell for Boxing Information and mentioned, “I hope I don’t get the urge (to return) as a result of I’m going to be an previous man in boxing, at 32. I’ll be 34 by the point I field for one more title. How can I get again into boxing after 4 years away?”
That very same yr, in July, Cameron’s 20-year-old stepdaughter Tiegan died tragically in a highway visitors accident. Alcoholism, weight achieve and melancholy all added to his downward spiral, however now he’s again, clear, wholesome and sober.
“I’ll by no means drink once more,” he says. “I do know I’m a troublesome lad. Regardless, I do know I’ve obtained that in my arsenal. I’m pleased with myself. Individuals are.”
And for anybody else who could also be battling any kind of habit right here is a few recommendation from Cameron himself. “My recommendation can be, don’t depart it till you could have a scare to alter. Change now. Begin. Don’t say, oh, Monday. Monday by no means comes. Simply get a grip to it.
“After 10 days, you’ll be that pleased with your self, you gained’t need to contact it. It’s good to relax from the mates what are always drinkers. It’s good to be a bit egocentric and say, look, I have to steer clear of it for a bit. This isn’t wholesome for me. That’s what you’ve obtained to do. Be egocentric.”
Cameron, 23-5 (10 KOs), isn’t egocentric in relation to his resurrected boxing profession. Requested his causes are for coming again to battle, he replies, “My children and my girlfriend. I put them first, they’re what drive me. I don’t drive myself, they do.”
Life these days is described as “boring” by Cameron however that fits him all the way down to the bottom. Every thing goes into his time on the health club which he’s assured will repay starting along with his battle towards Lyndon Arthur who final outing went 12 rounds with Dmitry Bivol – at brief discover – in December.
Cameron, who as soon as campaigned at center and super-middleweight, is now at light-heavy (175lbs), 25 kilos lower than what he weighed for his comeback battle towards Robbie Connor in October final yr.
“I weighed in at cruiserweight for that one,” he remembers. “I used to be nonetheless flabby. He [Connor] was Scottish worldwide as an novice, large for the burden. I’m lots higher now from my final battle. I’m simply progressing. Not that my boxing-wise, it’s simply that my power, my physique’s getting more durable and all the things.”
On Friday night time Cameron goes to present it his all towards his former world-ranked opponent who’s trying to get again into the highest 10 this yr. Whether or not it’s a boxing match or a battle Cameron will probably be there keen to do no matter it takes as you would possibly count on however after wins towards Robbie Connor, Harry Matthews and Hussein Itaba it’s a meteoric rise to then tackle Arthur, 23-2 (16 KOs), who has combined in world-class firm. BN requested Cameron how good he thinks his
“Superb, however how a lot has he obtained left on the minute? How a lot has he obtained left? Them exhausting fights slowly take it away from you.
“He is aware of now he’s by no means going to be a world champion, so the need’s dropped off what he needs. That’s my opinion. No disrespect to him.”
If Cameron ought to pull off what can be an enormous upset in entrance of a terrestrial TV viewers he stays undecided on what his future holds.
“I’d win this and never need to field once more,” he says. “You by no means know, do you? You by no means know. I might lose it and get extra impressed. I don’t know.”
