Boxing: Meehan sends Cameron to retirement

Shane Cameron fights Kali Meehan during the Heavyweight Title bout at the Super 8 Fight Night in Auckland. Photo / Getty Images

Kali Meehan has put Shane Cameron in to retirement.

In a battle of two veteran boxers, Meehan beat the Mountain Warrior via unanimous decision at the North Shore Events Centre tonight to claim the vacant WBA Pan African heavyweight title.

Cameron had said before the fight if he couldn't overcome Meehan that he would hang up his gloves.

"That's it for me I'm a man of my word," he said in the ring after the judges' scores were read. "I'd just like to thank New Zealand for their support throughout my whole career."

The loss marked the third on the bounce for Cameron, something which had never happened to him previously during his career and he will end with a 29-5 record as a professional.

The 37-year-old will now focus on his gym and spend more time with his family, although he plans to stick in the fight game through promotions.

For Meehan (42-5), his swansong in the ring has continued. The 44-year-old broke a two-year spell of dormancy to win the heavyweight Super 8 tournament in Auckland in June.

He had to be coaxed in to it but eventually it worked out and he said after the bout with Cameron that he would like to meet vocal American veteran Shannon Briggs.

Meanwhile, Australian Brad Pitt won the cruiserweight Super 8 tournament after he edged Samoan Vaitele Soi in the final.

Pitt, who was looking to get his career back on track after being knocked out by Kiwi David Aloua in April in the first loss of his career, was the pre-event favourite and boxed like it.

A 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Pitt took care of Joseph Kwadjo and Daniel Ammann in the first two rounds before, to the surprise of some, he was given the nod over Soi.

The Super 8 final marked the first time Soi had been beaten in his professional career but there is much to like about the 27-year-old.

Soi edged Lance Bryant in a split decision in his first assignment before he toppled Kiwi Monty Filimaea in the semifinals.

But he met his match in Pitt and he will look to build on his finals appearance as he advances his career.

In what may have been considered an upset, Aloua lost his regional cruiserweight belts via seventh-round TKO at the hands of Australian Anthony McCracken in the co-main event of the night.

The pair had fought in 2012 when Aloua took a split decision win but McCracken settled the score in commanding fashion with a series of punches that finished the fight.
Aloua had started quickly but McCracken weathered the early flurries and found his way in to the fight and began to wear Aloua down.

He tagged him in the fifth and sixth rounds before finishing the job shortly after.
In the opening bout of the night, Kiwi-born Australian heavyweight Willis Meehan made his professional debut with a unanimous decision victory over Will Quarrie.