KEY POINTS:
Shane Cameron's value on the boxing circuit may be enhanced rather than hurt by his first loss as a pro, his manager Ken Reinsfield feels.
Cameron showed he had plenty of guts and plenty of fight when still coming forward as blood poured from cuts above both eyes before he was knocked down twice and the referee stopped the bout against Friday Ahunanya near the end of the 12th and last round.
"He got caught with a heavy shot and he couldn't see the rest coming," Reinsfield said.
"He couldn't see properly. He was ahead on the cards and if he'd gone another 40 seconds he would have won and everyone would have been saying, 'What an amazing fight'."
Cameron had stitches to both cuts and was resting yesterday with family.
"He's obviously disappointed but he's not going to give up. He's philosophical about it. Losses are a part of boxing. It's not how you fall, it's how you get back up."
He would look to bring down another world class fighter, Reinsfield said. But there will be a wait of at least three months while the cuts heal properly. He said Cameron had been using creams to try to prevent just such an event.
"When we realised that genetically he had the type of skin that cuts, we went to skin specialists. Now we have to wait for the skin to be as strong as it was."
They had had good support after the fight. At 30, Cameron was young enough to regain momentum and the entertainment value from Friday's fight would ensure his value remained high.
