Green Impresses Against Cameron

Green Impresses Against Cameron
By Anthony Cocks at ringside, Doghouse Boxing (Nov 22, 2012)
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Danny Green 33-5 (28) turned in a career-best performance to defeat New Zealander Shane Cameron 29-3 (22) by unanimous point decision in front of a full house at Hisense Arena in Melbourne, Australia on Wednesday night.

The West Australian spurned conventional wisdom to take the fight to the naturally bigger Cameron on the inside, outmuscling and outhustling the WBO’s number 10 ranked heavyweight down the stretch to run away the winner by scores of 119-109, 116-112 and 116-113.

The victory earned Green the vacant IBO cruiserweight title that was stripped from Antonio Tarver when tested positive to steroids after his fight with Lateef Kayode in June.

From the first bell Green went after Cameron, showing a stiff jab and chopping right hand. Cameron thumped in a right hand to the body that Green would later say broke his rips, already fractured during sparring in the lead up to the bout. The big Kiwi was able to use his strength in the clinches to push Green back, but despite this it was the 39 year-old Aussie who landed the cleaner shots during exchanges.

Green opened up a cut over Cameron’s left eye in the third and continued to dish out punishment through the fifth. The tight appeared to be turning in the sixth with Green visibly tired, but in the seventh he was a rejuvenated man, working Cameron over with his raking jab and jarring right hand.

Cameron’s best punch of the night came early in the eighth, a powerful right cross to the jaw. It barely budged Green. The ninth saw Green have success with his own right hand early before both men traded hard shots in the red corner late in the round.

The pace waned again in the tenth with both men saving their best for the championship rounds.

Early in the eleventh a chopping right hand to the temple by Green during infighting buckled Cameron’s legs. If it wasn’t for his instinct to grab Green and hold on for dear life, he surely would have taken a count. Green continued to pour it on for the rest of the round, desperately looking for the knockout, and continued to batter an exhausted looking Cameron throughout the twelfth.

After the fight a clearly ecstatic Green couldn’t have been more excited with the way the fight played out: "This is a victory for all my fans, for everyone, for every Australian who has given me support and encouragement throughout my career. That was old-school, behind the shed, Saturday night pub brawl and I came out on top against a Kiwi."

In the weeks leading up to the fight there had been persistent whispers about this fight being Green’s swansong, but he refused to be drawn on rumours of his retirement. When asked after the bout if this was to be his last fight, Green sidestepped the question and replied: “I'm going to be an Aussie and get on the cans with the boys.''

No doubt he did.

In the main support bout, IBO super featherweight titleholder “Wild” Will Tomlinson 20-0-1 (12) retained his belt and unbeaten record with a comprehensive twelve round decision win against Irving Berry, 22-4-2 (9), of Panama. Berry was dropped by a left hook in the fourth and lost two points for holding, going down 120-105, 117-108 and 119-106 on the cards.

In other results, Brad Pitt stopped Mosese Sorovi in the second, Jeremy Van Demien TKO’d Lyndon Edney in the third, Brandon Ogilvie won a six round majority decision over Anthony Taylor, while Jake Carr halted Dinesh Kanth in two.

E-mail Anthony at anthonyc1974@gmail.com

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