Boxing: Cameron shows his class in TKO

Shane Cameron's heavyweight career took another step forward when the New Zealander outclassed American Adele Olakange in Nevada yesterday.

Unbeaten Cameron dominated the fight at the Reno Events Centre, winning by technical knockout when Olakange refused to go on after being knocked down for the second time, 51 seconds into the fourth round.

Showing no sign of rustiness after five months out of the ring, Cameron peppered his Nigerian-born opponent, successful with his left jab and right upper cut.

A combination one minute into the first round put Olakange on the canvas for the first time. Then the sluggish American walked into a short right hand in the fourth and was struck by another glancing right to finish the fight.

Gisborne-born Cameron improved his professional record to 13 wins from 13 fights, 12 by knockout. Olakange drops to six wins and six losses.

Cameron was pleased his plan of basing his tactics around the jab worked but admitted to finding the going tough after two rounds.

"I certainly noticed the altitude, I learned a lesson there," said Cameron, who weighed a trim 104kg for the fight.

"I caught my second wind by the fourth round, I think I took the third round off.

"I'm the sort of fighter who gets stronger as a fight goes on. If it hadn't been stopped in the fourth, it would have been stopped in the fifth."

The fight was an undercard to two bigger heavyweight bouts, with Cameron's performance likely to have raised his prospect of bigger paydays out of the stable of American promoter Gary Shaw.

"I tried not to let the occasion get to me, signing with Gary Shaw and trying to impress a lot of guys," Cameron said. "I'm not sure what Gary's got in place for me next but it's on and up from here."

Cameron's shot at the IBF Pan Pacific heavyweight crown was put on hold in July after he strained his groin just days before he was due to fly to Florida.

- NZPA