Hard-Working Shawn Cameron Looks to Capture New York State Middleweight Title
When I first met Shawn “Killa” Cameron (10-0, 5 KOs) he was a boxer with a recovering broken right hand. Most boxers in that situation would use the injury time to heal and relax away from the gym; Cameron however is not most boxers. Instead “Cam,” as he is referred to endearingly by those that know him, used the time to train even harder with the rest of his able body.
Any given day of the week you could have seen Cameron at the gym doing mitt work and sparring with his good hand or even lifting weights with a construction glove on his injured hand. His passion for the sport, talent, dedication and ability to work consistently throughout any form of setbacks has set Cameron apart from the rest of the up-and-coming Middleweight prospects in the sport.
On Friday, November 20, 2015 Cameron will take both his strong mental and physical abilities to the main event of DiBella Entertainment’s Broadway Boxing series as he faces fellow undefeated prospect Chris Galeano (9-0, 1 KO) in a 10-round battle for the New York State middleweight title. The event will be held at the Aviator Sports and Events Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Both Cameron and Galeano are fan favorites that carry a large following in the area so it is sure to be a packed house that night. In a press release sent last week, Lou DiBella highlighted the importance of this fight and atmosphere.
[otw_shortcode_quote border=”bordered” border_style=”bordered”]“This Broadway Boxing main event is a throwback to when New York club show boxing was in its heyday. You have two undefeated prospects, both former New York Golden Gloves champions, from different boroughs, that are now meeting in hands-down the toughest fight of either of their young professional careers. The winner will not only claim New York bragging rights but also cement himself as someone to watch in the coming years in the middleweight division.” Lou DiBella[/otw_shortcode_quote]
Cameron is aware of what a fight of this magnitude could do for his career, yet he still approaches it with the same focus as all of his fights.
“Every fight is important and this is really important too,” said Cameron. “I am going in as the opponent; this is already an uphill battle, number one. Number two, I am going up in weight to fight this guy. It’s for a vacant belt so it will be my first trinket as a professional. It is very import to me; I hate losing, so I don’t want to lose, I don’t care who I am fighting or for what. I don’t really go in to any fight with a losing mindset, so I treat every fight pretty much the same.”
This will be both Cameron and Galeano’s first scheduled 10-round fight of their careers as both have only gone six rounds in previous fights. Cameron says he is not afraid of the uncharted territory.
“It’s a matter of who wants it that night, we are both going to be tired, if it goes the distance into later rounds, uncharted territory. We both haven’t gone past six. Do I want to go 10? No. I am not going there to go 10. However, I am making sure that I am prepared to go all 10 rounds regardless,” said Cameron.
Cameron is 32 years old, making him 10 years older than Galeano. He feels that the age difference will work to his advantage as he has more life experience.
“At the end of day this game is mental,” said Cameron. “He’s probably going to tell himself whatever he wants to get an advantage, it’s just a matter of who wants it more that night. Adversity builds character. The more shit you go through the stronger you get.”
Cameron first began boxing while enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he did two tours in Iraq. “In the Army they break you down, it’s all mental,” said Cameron. “They just broke me, but after a while it became fun, even though it was hard work it became fun.”
During their off time someone got ahold of some boxing gloves and the servicemen would challenge one another to boxing matches. Cameron was highly successful in these makeshift bouts, knocking several people out, and as a result his passion for boxing began.
Once his enlistment with the Army was over, Cameron found his way to the historic Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn where he started to work with his trainer Don Saxby. The working dynamic between Saxby and Cameron is undeniably a great combination of respect, hard work and a passion for winning.
“I have already been through so much shit, so Don doesn’t really have to do much besides teach me the art of boxing. In terms of getting shape and going running, I do all that by myself anyway.”
Cameron is no stranger to the dedication boxing requires as he maintains a full-time job with the New York City Transit Authority, and somehow manages to also fully devote himself to his boxing training. The Brooklynite goes to the gym in the morning before work begins and trains for several hours before making his way to work in the afternoon. Once completing his workday, the dedicated Cameron logs in distance runs nightly to ensure his weight and endurance are maintained throughout the year.
A lightly attired Cameron can be seen running the dark streets in the late hours of even the coldest New York winter nights. As any friend would, I once advised Cameron to be careful when running the streets of Brooklyn’s Canarsie neighborhood so late at night. His reply was so simple, yet always stuck with me.
“God’s got me,” said Cameron.
Cameron without doubt is approaching his upcoming fight with the same fearless confidence, strong dedication and mental toughness. “If you are confident that you put in all the work that you’re supposed to put in; then there should be no reason why you should have a lot of doubts. So, whenever I train I try to push myself to do something that I know other people aren’t doing, in order to have that confidence to know that I can do this shit.”
“This is a great fight, especially that it is taking place right here in New York. You have two local, undefeated kids on the rise, pushing their limits to get to that next level. Come November 20, I will be ready for whatever Chris Galeano brings to the ring,” said Cameron.
This fight is sure to thrust the winner on to greater heights within the middleweight division. Cameron hopes to put on an entertaining bout while proving he is ready to outwork and beat the rest of the prospects in the middleweight division.
All photos by Marilyn Paulino/RBRBoxing
