Indian Newslink: A momentous match knocked out in moments

A momentous match knocked out in moments
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Faiyaz Khan on 12/10/2009 17:42:00
 
It took just four minutes for David Tua to send Shane Cameron home with
unforgettable punches at the Mistry Creek Hamilton match on October 3.
To an estimated 7000 enthusiasts who had gathered to watch the much publicised
Fight of the Century boxing match for the WBO Asia Pacific and WBO Oriental
Heavyweight Championship belts, it was a bitter disappointment.
The preliminary bouts were well matched, save for a few who were not fit enough
to endure the ordeal.
As Tua entered the ring, there was a certain quietude that was almost
unbearable; there was speculation that the master fighter, who had stayed away
from boxing for the past two years, had gone as rusty as his opponent.
I am not sure if referee Bruce Mc Tavish of Philippines cautioned the two
pugilists to protect themselves when he called them for a brief prior to the
bouts.
When the bell sounded for the first round, Tua took almost 90 seconds to feel
the ring and get a couple of jabs from Cameron.
The final minute of the first round saw him opening up; despite constant jabs
from his opponent, he clipped Cameron with a solid right hand sending him
off-guard. This gave Tua the chance to follow up with good punches until Cameron
dropped for eight counts.
When Cameron rose, Tua attacked him again like a hungry tiger and gave him the
second eight count of the First Round.
By this time, the referee thought he heard the bell and went to the timekeeper,
who signalled to carry on. When the referee called ‘Box,’ Tua again attacked
Cameron.
After the one-minute break, when the second round started, Tua had forced the
fight to Cameron’s corner.
I counted him taking 13 unprotected punches, which is not allowed by both New
Zealand Boxing Associations.
The referee should have stopped Tua from hitting Cameron and called the fight
off as a mismatch, rather than a complete knock out which could have had Cameron
badly hurt or damaged for life.
It may be a big lesson for the both Boxing Associations not to pay so much for
referees from overseas who do not know the power of our local fighters.
Cameron’s corner-men should also accept responsibility, although their
decision to send their fighter back out was understandable.
Cameron is a tough, proud pugilist. He had trained hard and deserved every
chance to put up a good fight and perhaps win the match.
Wounded pride is one thing, and inviting serious head trauma is quite another;
hopefully Cameron is not too scarred by this battering.
There should be more decent paydays in Cameron’s future but he could forget
grabbing a world title.
Tua is a study in contrast, an affable man in a unique Polynesian way. He is
capable of unimaginable brutality.
We saw the best of Tua towards the end of the fight, as he put his arm around
the vanquished Cameron, trying to comfort him as he slumped against the ropes.
Faiyaz Khan is a referee and  a judge at the New Zealand Boxing Federation and
represented Indian Newslink at the Match of the Century.’