Liam Cameron talks about his return to the ring and the world of boxing!!
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Good evening this is last bell boxing it’s an absolute pleasure to be joined by former IBO World youth Champion former Commonwealth middleweight champion and back after five and a half years out of the ring Cannonball Liam Cameron how are you mate I’m all right thank you how’s you yeah yeah really
Good really good so A lot’s gone on mate is it um I want to take you right back if that’s all right the people that on our channel that that that have not have not heard from you might not know you are um they must have been living under
A rock if that’s the case but uh let’s take you right back to the very start mate I’m right thinking that you you first went in a gym at eight yeah you’re right what was that like as a as a little kid what was that experience like do you know what it were
Like I always loved box well no I didn’t always love boxing me nanan me Nan Margaret got me these Rocky videos um and I bored her from her house and my mom and dad never showed me the Rockies so I watched them then I just
Thought I’d love to do that I don’t know why because it looked bad Rocky got Amed didn’t he Al yeah he did yeah I must have been somewhat crazy for me to say I want to do that so then there were there were a gym um and I went to it and loved
It so was that your first memory of boxing then watching Rocky films yeah um I used to have this little um well it weren’t little it were a big teddy bear and I used to U it’s arms around the um bunk bed and us to hmer it and sometimes you
You’ missing it the bars and me my first memory have a guess who walked me into it were it were obviously me um relations was training down at COD Dave coldwell’s gym and right the guy what opened the door for me and my mom was Jerome Wilson no way yeah
Wow that’s amazing mate I mean at that age I mean you perhaps don’t remember like the very early part but you’re not allowed to Sparkle a certain age are you no but I remember everything anything to do with boxing I remember anything do you yeah do you so I asked
This a lot to to Fighters and I get loads of different responses um what did what was your feeling when you first got punched when you first got punched in the face some Fighters say they absolutely loved it and they couldn’t wait to get more or other Fighters say
They absolutely hated it and it took them a while to get used to it so so what happened with me I we did a lot of footwork um body sparring bags so I were doing a lot of that then I can remember there’s a man called Gordon from
Redford he’s like well established over there and we went to Spa when I were very young one of their Lads and I got a bit lucky and I popped kids’s nose and he started crying so I think I were a bit lucky to do that so I went back to
School next day and tell everyone I had one amateur fight won it in first round stoppage so that would always I always lied about it until I Obviously what so tell me a little bit about your amateur career um you’ve got some really great names on there the likes of Scott Cardell Tommy Langford Callum Smith good they yeah what what what’s your um what’s your memories of of your amateur days
Um I was I don’t want to say a little fat kid but a little chubby kid what last on track um weren’t really athletic kid to be fair right just I’ve always been tough um like a tough kid um so me me first memories of it just I can’t
Really it it’s a bit far back but I can remember it being good um so I had my first fight at 11 and do you know what it is then I think it’s more brutal then because I think as everyone gets younger and younger we get softer because I can
Remember um getting a phone call well I didn’t get a phone call I’d get him from school and me Mom and Dad would go you’re fighting tonight and i’ go all right and where at oh um so and so’s goingon to pick you up um you’re boxing at so and so place in
Sheffield but I can remember not being bothered it like yeah no worries really I don’t think people are like that now I think it has to be match for weeks and stuff yeah yeah yeah it’s all even like the boxing side of things it was I used
To spar with no G Shield or Red Guard way until I were professional honestly you’re joking no no RPS or anything my first my first pro 20 fights I had a shock do to G Shield so um I just I don’t know I think that right now I went to an amateur show
And a kid got a punch in and they stopped the f and they were only a kid and that kid were out broke so I can remember thinking is that good for boxing because the kid’s going to go back and think he’s going to get B the kid were in a
Right state that he got stopped and me personally I didn’t think he should have got stopped right and now now the trigger happy now with these counts in amateur box and maybe it’s because of what has happened but at least like yeah they’re always they’re always trying to
Look at ways well they think to to make the the sport safer but sometimes it it’s a real detriment is it yeah yeah if you if a kid wants the box it’s not an easy sport so they have to be prepared to have a few HS you have
To absolutely pick you’re picking that as your job you’re not going into a football match you’re picking box in here so it has to be it has to be a boxing match it does have to and it has to sometimes be a bit hard it does yeah
Person agreed agreed mate moving on to your moving on to your pro career I’m right thinking that you turned pro at 19 18 18 okay um and and it wasn’t long I think a couple of years three years before you got your first area title fight yeah um that obviously didn’t go
Quite according to plan and uh it was you ended up in a very very narrow loss against um jez Wilson you know you know these area title fights Liam yeah I sit and watch a lot of small all I said go to a lot of small all
Shows and I I love I I love area title fights I think they’re brilliant English title fights all that they really well matched one thing that that I can’t get me head round is the fact that you fight f for a belt but the referee is the only person scoring the fight yeah
Um yeah because to be fair back then tickets were 60 pound ring sides right so for you to generate a wage I can remember exactly what I got for that fight um and I’m going to go touch up on some after what happens is the promoter puts threee Grand into the
Pot that’s split out middle then whatever you’re doing tickets so just say for instance you’re not going to just 160s at that time so no the normal ones were 30 quid so even3 quid tickets is three grand in it so what you get out of that just say you
Got 5050 that’s only three that’s three grand tops you get in for a central area and um well do you know with the one thing I regret is when I went pro obviously got I had GB on me back they were honestly I want best fighter at tournament they were on
My backe to go into this Olympic Squad and what it is to be fair when I won them Abbas I just winged it I just winged it went in and won it and won it easy I was stopping the likes um Tommy Langford I stopped him get him about
Three counts Scott Cardell beat him 10 nil then I beat D le o shus to like 253 now back in day there used to be an act class rule where you’ve stopped him so I had I had bar in wanting to sign me I had the GB wanting to keep me on and
Obviously and it we down Ro from me and the Olympic Squad the podium Squad that means it’s the best one so then I got um not blacked but brainwashed because I’m a young kid I fought for free so when I had to promot to BL me to turn pro in Sheffield
What really messed my career up because I got I got offered ,000 pound around we are selling tickets off these major promo and this guy said he were going to match it I didn’t go in with no paperwork or um anything on paper signed it as a
Vulnerable kid 18 year old don’t know what what is and I did eight six Grands worth of tickets and I come out with 1,400 quid my first profile shocking it’s shocking M I can remember getting the wage slip and I would sat crying because I thought I worked so hard for this
And the losses and I know people might think I’m making excuses I I don’t need to lie um the losses are I just couldn’t get up for I I’d worked so hard even for me Pro fights me me fourth Pro fighty talken at ABA British I a European
Number two and he’s I got 500 to fight in Jersey and this is not Jersey in America jersey in the channel is 500 quid I can I allad what works what trains three times a day sparring all up best fighters and fund my career and my elf
And my um happiness it just proper got old of me every fight until I finally lost and it were only till I were always near man in pros and I got an opportunity to where I thought you know what I’m just going to get me all if I
Lose this fight I’m going to pack in and ended up um boxing Sam shedi and stopping him and I would the me me manager didn’t want me to win because I was managed by both Fighters oh really he were devastated when I won that that was that was your comwe title
Win wasn’t it yeah I wasn’t expected to win then I defended it and stopped looking in the second round that was that was Nick jenman yeah and then and then that’s where things went a bit wrong it very went wrong yeah so to so for people that don’t know
About this um obviously you go into this fight you stop the kid in two rounds you then as as as happens for title fights you you go in and you have to take a um a drug test afterwards and then how how long is it before you know the results of that test
So I think I for April 25th April 25th so what happened is by my manager tell me look I have to take a th000 pound out of your purse he went um it’s to pay for you CAD so cut long story short I knew eight weeks before I were
Getting a drug test so I thought eight ,000 so I thought you know what it is what it is I’m Champion I’m going to get bigger and better things beat this kid then other things but my manager at time wanted me to box on his shows he won’t I
Got offered on Frank Warren it won’t let me do it then um I knew there were going to be a drug test I knew everything and little did I know after when I had the meetings with ukad it’s all funded ukad you don’t pay in no you don’t and I’ve
Got receipts where I’ve signed that I’ve paid for ukad for a oh no way so I’m like wow I’m trying to fight my illegal battle saying I peray for drug test I’ve got it in receipt and you could have saying well that’s receipts wrong because we don’t charge a thousand so
I’m thinking I’m getting ripped all out place here and you know what it were with me test people think it would cocaine got done for I wer it was it was it could have been a bad kidney infection liver infection but the worst C with seven things you can Google
It you can put the name on what it were I can’t even pronounce it but the worst case scenario is cocaine and it was 25 nanograms so you’ve got milligrams you’ve got nanograms milligrams and grams mine with 25 nanograms so so it wasn’t classed as a performance enhancing no it’s because
It’s not it’s not no I mean nanograms you’re talking that’s something that if that was on a table you wouldn’t see it that’s what they said you C but I needed proof of ingestion and I’m like do I carry a GoPro camera with me 247 there’s obvious
Facts when you count right I’ll show you some now if you look at my finger there that wait can I get it is that finger s s in it I’ve got anit biting me fingers and that’s re really wait that’s really so my skin so only takes a little lick off a note
And you’ve got it in your system I was about to say so so the people that don’t know small or small or and the way small or go you go about small or for you to earn any money and for you to get a fighter you have to you have to you have
To sell tickets yeah you haven’t got a secretary going around collecting money in you you’ve got to go around people knocking off people’s doors handing tickets over and taking money off them yeah I so because Australia and um I went to Australia for for 12,000 against the reigning IB world
Champion WBC over he had 24 and0 and 22 Knockouts and I fought him I’m like I’m not going to work this hard they say it went in my system four days before fight why would I have it four days before fight if I would G to have it I would
Have had it after would exactly mate um and with it being as man as it is I mean there’s been some really high profile drug fails recently Fighters that Fighters that are are boxing they’ve got they’ve got a a fail drw test hanging over them in the boxing
You’ve got another fighter I don’t really want to bring names up because that’s not fair but you got another fighter that’s still an Undisputed Champion still still got belts the best done it my band kicked up a fuss online um UK has not changed their rule where
If you get done for cocaine it’s a maximum three month ban that’s that’s crazy and you got and you got four years got four years they’ve changed it after my ban yeah that’s absolutely Nots the worst thing about it is it’s not a performance performance an answer it’s
Not going to help you in the ring definitely not and it was that mind you that it could have come from anywhere it weren’t it wer I’ll have to i’ meaning to get papers like it’s not a this say it’s not a snable it’s not in a snortable amount
It’s no way it’s it’s it’s virtually invisible isn’t it that’s how small it is yeah so you obviously you tried to appeal the test was done in the in an ice skate public toilet oh really yeah oh man absolute nightmare so obviously you’re in a position where you’ve
You’ve you’ve known boxing since you were eight years old you’ve been in a gym since you were eight years old you get to a point where you get this ban and they don’t only ban you for four years but I’m right in thinking that you were told you weren’t allowed in a
Gym right I weren’t allowed in a boxing gym training um I weren’t allowed to train Fighters I weren’t allowed to spar and make money I was basically allowed to go in a fitness gym then I got I got a letter of threatening saying if they get another report they and they’ll investigate I’ll
Get eight eight years so that will four out four and I’m not lying that’s I’m it’s it’s it’s what the what it is I think thing is thing is Liam you’re in a you’re in a position where you’re not on a massive promote you w’t with a
Massive promoter so you not got all this this Millions bucking you to to fight legal cases and to and to go and find uh in independent doctors and independent scientists to to prove your innocence did you feel like you was left a little bit in the wildness by the
Boxing business yeah there like fighters from Sheffield what could have shouted the name but they never did but I ranked professionals and they never did I don’t I don’t I don’t owe them know and they don’t on me out but come on it’s it’s do you know I mean it’s it’s not
Good but I’m back to where I I back to where it all started steel citen and I’m a year in now training twice a day sparring um I’ve lost I 128 kilo I’m now 83 kilo uh quit alcohol and had a drink for 13
Months um and I’m on a good I station to blood pressure and I’m on a good path I’m mate it’s been it’s been an amazing turnaround yeah the difference from I saw some of those social media photos of when you were in quite a dark place at
The time you’ve come such a long way it’s inspirational really I you had that first fight um you had that first fight back in October yeah back on the on the on the GBM card and I don’t mind saying mate I was backstage as you were getting ready to go out you
Look quite nervous do you think yeah did you not feel it did you not feel nerves I can’t say I w’t that nervous um I just didn’t think I I just couldn’t believe I were boxing I didn’t I didn’t really I can’t say I were nervous I
Might have looked it to you but I just could gather that I was actually boxing because I never thought I’d box again amazing experience though and you you’ve just touched on um you just touched touched on Pierce goodon and Grant Smith from Steel City what what have they done for you since since
You’ve decided to come back well they’ve done a lot for me u p has stuck by me every day training me um Grant helped me is um does Brian Smith he’s like the granded it Jim I’ve I’ve known these since the since I were nine year old they live on my estate you
Know what I mean give me a key for Jim said come when you want and it just started from there and um I’m now training a fighter um it’s Gran and Brian’s paid for me um boxing license professional boxing license so yeah as soon as I’ve had this fight hopefully a couple of
Pros might come on but I’m happy just with one at minute because I’ve got a fighter called Bri right and listen Goosebumps are good she is and I know if people might say it but I took us well she took me sparting Natasha Jonas in know call and we’ve been up
About six times now and every time SP she just got better and better better and she listens and I’m proud of her as well because for trusting me like and it’s good it’s good brilliant oh that’s great stuff mate the fact that you can you can add back back
To the sport when you’ve been through what you’ve been through tell tell tells you a lot about your character I do it U funny funny thing what’s happened today so I do a kids class but kindness and me art didn’t think know I’ve been doing it for about eight months I’d
Say so I keep doing it keep doing it so there’s a there’s a guy called J in what brings his kids and there’s a guy Ying what brings his kid called Sam and these are really good kids so I keep teaching teaching them religiously I do this kids
Class twice a week and they’ve sponsored me today give me give me some money and like I don’t I don’t really I don’t really I ain’t really had much sponsorship I’ve had I’ve had um choke in my friend he’s paid for Medicals and me mate I dentist I’m like
For someone to give me money it means a lot when he crying I told me tears back and I’m not really like I’m like like to think myself as an odd man but I like nearly crying because I couldn’t believe someone would do that for me I don’t get
Nothing do you know what I mean so right yeah yeah someone to do that for me it means a lot well that needs to change mate we we need to get you some proper sponsorships yeah I I’ll make sure this goes out to a lot of people in Sheffield
Local local Sheffield local Sheffield companies need to be getting getting vand I think that’s let’s let’s let’s let’s make that happen mate let’s get on Twitter and make it happen I just think to myself if I be a nice lad and give back and be kind I’ll um I’ll get some
I’ll get some goodness back and today’s really showing it I’m like my dad yeah Dad right my dad’s always said to me be nice and you’ll get it back and like I’ve been I’ve been trying to give it to Lord’s bike and I’ve got some bik to and
I’m right upy oh that’s that’s great mate just before I let you go uh last one let’s talk about let’s talk about you uping fight febr 9th um back on the GBM card at uh the Canon medical Arena I think it’s called Sheffield yeah purpose buil strange is
It purpose built um purpose built Arena it’s fantastic there and I think it looks like GBM are going to make it their their home the first the first show they put on there was fantastic and it’ll only get better um little little word for for GBM and and isas because
They they’re doing big things right yeah yeah um do you know what it were because I went boxing I knew Izzy spoke to me and he went I’ve got this management company and you know what I thought thought oh here we go again trying to plug some another one at
It trying to rip people off and he’s done well you know he’s he um being good with me he not put a foot wrong the shows are amazing high quality the fights are great and the people what are on it yeah absolutely a good talent and we need talent coming through in Sheffield
And it’s great to see what is is doing there’s all different gyms there’s Steel City Roger Samson’s what a fighting from there there’s Riley’s there’s Les now I feel a bit of a daff TW because I’m gonna miss someone AR now so that’s what I’m sure they’ll forgive you
Yeah Liam it’s been an absolute pleasure talking to you mate I want you back on the show as soon as possible let’s get this fight out of the way and get you somewhat big yeah thanks for thanks for joining last B boxing mate much appreciated no
