Mood turns ugly as Barrett trash talk ruffles Cameron

Shane Cameron is doing his best to stay focused in the face of ultraconfidence and hostility from American heavyweight Monte Barrett.

Cameron’s business-like comments to the media at yesterday’s weigh-in quickly descended into anger at the first sign of provocation.

Barrett, who is the only man to have knocked down Kiwi fighter David Tua, was already heading into tonight’s Auckland clash against Cameron as the punters’ choice.

The American landed another psychological blow on the eve of the bout, leaving Cameron struggling for a comeback when he simply announced: ‘‘F... Shane Cameron.’’

‘‘I feel awesome. This is a great opportunity,’’ Cameron said in his opening gambit.

‘‘When opportunities come along, you have to take them, and it will all be about who wants it on the night.’’

At that point, Barrett gestured ‘‘crab hands’’ at Cameron, insinuating that the Aucklander was all talk and no trousers.

‘‘I’ll shut this bigmouth piece of s... up,’’ Cameron responded.

Cameron was right about one thing – Barrett knows how to use his mouth.

But the Kiwi, who has lost two of his 30 professional fights, has his work cut out to silence the WBO Asia-Pacific champion.

With a nearly 2kg weight advantage at 99.3kg, Barrett revealed a far more muscular physique to Cameron yesterday, and was brimming with confidence.

‘‘F... Shane Cameron,’’ Barrett bellowed straight off the bat.

‘‘He’s going to feel it tomorrow. It’s not a game, it’s not a f...ing game. I’m about ready to tear his head off.’’

Instead of raising the boxing stakes, Cameron resorted to rais- ing a quick laugh from the partisan audience by taking a swipe at Barrett’s ‘‘bad breath’’.

Meanwhile, Joseph Parker, who missed out on selection for this year’s New Zealand Olympic team, also looked a far more imposing figure than his opponent Dean Garmonsway, despite weighing in lighter at 105.9kg and 106.95kg respectively.

In the anticipated undercard grudge match between cricketer Jesse Ryder and broadcaster Mark Watson, the talkback host, who has been called out by Ryder over on-air comments, is giving away a massive 10kg.

Ryder, who says he has shed 6kg over the past four weeks, weighed in at 104.4kg, compared to Watson’s 94.5kg. In typical DJ style, and on three separate occasions at the weigh-in, Watson acknowledged the situation as ‘‘it is what it is’’.

‘‘I understand the significance [of the weight disadvantage],’’ Watson said.

‘‘I’m going to have to be smart, I’ve got some strategies.

‘‘There’s a little bit of nerves, but I still back my fitness.’’

Looking confident, Ryder said he was keenly anticipating the encounter.

‘‘I’m excited and pretty stoked. I started off at 110kg four weeks ago and my jab’s looking good,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m just going to go out there and do my thing.’’

The final word yesterday was reserved for the fighters in the women’s encounter between model Jaime Ridge and reality television star Rosanna Arkle.

Ridge tipped the scales over the previously agreed 55kg weight limit, at 60.7kg, but Arkle took the disadvantage in her stride.

‘‘I’m excited and nervous, but I didn’t expect us to be the same weight,’’ Arkle said.

Ridge, meanwhile, spoke softly on the microphone, but insisted she had enjoyed preparing for the bout and ‘‘just wanted to get in the ring’’.