Shane still carries weig g

‘It’s not like I can start t work like that. You onl ly Shane Cameron For almost three years, Shane Cameron has battled with inner demons inflicted by David Tua. Ahead of his clash with Monte Barrett, Cameron opened up to Liam Napier about the defining fi

Everynewzealand boxing fan recalls witnessing the brutal execution.

Most could tell you their whereabouts, what they were wearing, who they were with, what beverage they were consuming.

It was that memorable – that provocative. Stomachs turned, jaws dropped, eyes bulged – simultaneously.

Onemanhas lived with the pain of that night. Hewants to erase the date – 03/10/2009 – from the subconscious. He’s waited for this chance to end his long suffering. Twominutes and 30 seconds into what was dubbed the Fight of the Century (hopefully in homage to the original – the great duel betweenmuhammadali and Joe Frazier in 1971) Shane Cameron’s career and, indeed, reputation were tarnished. Tainted. Beaten and blackened beyond repair, it seemed, with the first of three ferocious knockdowns.

Awakening each morning for nearly three years since, Cameron has replayed David Tua’s powerful left hook rattling his skull to the core and the lethal combinations that followed. Even today, the former Gisborne farmer battles those inner demons, entrenched scars and wounded pride. Hehas never quite recovered from that fateful night in the Tron.

‘‘I hate it. I hate it every day. I’m always hindered by the David fight,’’ Cameron told Sunday News. ‘‘I never showed anything. I’m really disappointed about that.

‘‘He caughtmewith such a sweet shot early on. I couldn’t recover.’’

After Tua’s unforgettable demolition job, Cameron had just one more heavyweight scrap – a farcical hug-a-thon with controversial former league player John Hopoate – before dropping to cruiserweight, where he’s had five undefeated fights to claim the Commonwealth title.

Now, he’s back with the big boys. Andhis return is personal.

Trash-talking American Monte Barrett is the opponent. But it’s more than a fight to Cameron. It’s about redemption; the improved state of somebody saved from irreversible decline. The term is often tossed about in sport. But, here, it could not be more apt.

Cameron’s past failings drive his present objective. Hedoesn’t like the unflattering perception. The lingering mutters. Hewants to leave a legacy worth remembering. Only Barrett stands between him and that quest.

‘‘The only way I can resurrect that in some way is take care of theman who took care of David, twice,’’ Cameron explains. ‘‘The way I see it, I’m fighting David. I’m fighting the manwho took care of me. It would makemefeel a lot better. That’s a big part of it.’’

Cameron’s desire and determination is chilling. Yet the conviction of his sentiments can only be assessed at next month’s Skycity showdown.

‘‘There’s a bit of emotion to resurrect things. I don’t know what people think of the Tua fight. I know what I think about it. It was pretty shocking frommyside,’’ he said.

‘‘One punch can change a whole fight, your whole career. That’s what happened to me. It’s about making mefeel better by taking care of Barrett. Andtaking care of him in good style, to show I have got it.’’