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At one time, Shane was something like #7 in the world in one of the alphabets. That was before he met Tua. Even so, he really never beat anyone of note except for Barrett, who is an experienced, very good journeyman. I saw Cameron as a top 50 fighter at one point. Not bad, considering you are one of the best 50 people in your chosen profession.
So my question is: was there more in him? He topped out before the Tua bout, and never improved. Could he have done better if he had another trainer than Lollo? Or if he didn't switch so often. Or if Cullen didn't sponsor him? Or if he was managed differently by Reinsfeld?
What are your thoughts? Was he the best he could be, or could he have been better?
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(01-04-2015, 02:24 PM)diehard Wrote: At one time, Shane was something like #7 in the world in one of the alphabets. That was before he met Tua. Even so, he really never beat anyone of note except for Barrett, who is an experienced, very good journeyman. I saw Cameron as a top 50 fighter at one point. Not bad, considering you are one of the best 50 people in your chosen profession.
So my question is: was there more in him? He topped out before the Tua bout, and never improved. Could he have done better if he had another trainer than Lollo? Or if he didn't switch so often. Or if Cullen didn't sponsor him? Or if he was managed differently by Reinsfeld?
What are your thoughts? Was he the best he could be, or could he have been better?
And the Barrett win was well AFTER the top 10 world ranking...
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01-04-2015, 03:26 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-04-2015, 03:27 PM by Cosmic Drop.)
At the time calling Tua out like he did makes him look stupid when you looked at the end result...to be in a ring with raw power and fast hands like Tua, Tyson or George Foreman...you have to have an EXCELLENT jab, reach aswell as movement, this is where actual boxing skills and IQ come into play...a good chin too...but eventually a titanium jaw would shatter from the three I've mentioned.
In my Opinion Shane did the basics ok but not well enough be elite. Top elite fighters have 1,2 maybe 3 major arsenal weapons and/or attributes...Shane didn't really have any ace weapons or attributes like Tua with his left hook and granite chin. I do feel Shane needed to be more of a boxer going for points rather than brawler looking for the KO.
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Pretty much on the money Cosmic
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KB said that Cameron was good at a lot of things, but not great at any them. Average power, speed, chin, boxing skills, etc.
But my question is: could he have done better IF certain things had happened differently?
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Other than David Tua and the top 15 heavyweights at the time falling to Ebola...No, simply not good enough.
When he lost to Friday it showed where he was limited to and it was made definite when he lost to a 39 year old Tua.
I give him credit for trying the cruiserweight scene a try too...but Danny was too flash for him.
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So Cosmic, do you agree with me that he did the best that he could, given his talent, and that nothing he could have done would have improved his boxing skills, resulting in beating fighters in the top 10?
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(01-04-2015, 05:26 PM)diehard Wrote: So Cosmic, do you agree with me that he did the best that he could, given his talent, and that nothing he could have done would have improved his boxing skills, resulting in beating fighters in the top 10?
Sure do captain.
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I think Cameron did better than expected given his skill set. Hard work does pay off.
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Shane had a huge heart and was a humble man despite the way he came across in the Tua build up. The media and public wrote him after the Tua fight and most boxers would never have bounced back from that humilation.
The Barrett fight was his everest and the majority of boxing fans were overjoyed for him as he sent Barrett to dreamland with a thunderous right hand. I enjoyed the Vaea fight as well
The Green fight was probably the biggest disappointment I had watching him, weight drained and ponderous a gurning Green ran around him all night.
But yeah thanks for the memories Shane, you always gave 110%