Stand-in opponent Nicky Jenman steps in for Danny Butler last minute to face Commonwealth champ Liam Cameron
Liam Cameron, 20-5 (8), will now defend his Commonwealth Middleweight Title against Nicky Jenman on April 27 at the Ice Sheffield Arena following Danny Butler’s withdrawal from the contest.
With the show televised live on Freesports (Freeview 95, Freesat 252, Sky 424, BT 95, Talk Talk 95), southpaw Jenman steps into the fray having fought most recently in March, losing a tight decision for the IBO Continental Middleweight Title against Andrew Robinson.
With 10 defeats from 31 outings, the Brighton fighter – a former Southern Area Middleweight Champion – knows this is his big opportunity and will be determined to cause an upset in Cameron’s Sheffield backyard.
Liam, who won the Commonwealth crown with an eighth round KO of Sam Sheedy last October, will have to put in a similar determined shift if he is to retain his belt, with promoter Dennis Hobson – currently in Tenerife – warning that Jenman has the ability and determination to upset Cameron’s recently revitalised career.
“I got a call from Danny Butler’s manager,” revealed Hobson, “who said, ‘I’ve got a problem with Danny’. I haven’t got to the bottom of what the issue is, and I’m not sure it’s just an injury, but I didn’t hang about to be honest with just a couple of weeks to go. I knew when I got off the phone we had to find someone else.
“I’m sat in Tenerife thinking about my contacts and one of them is Jon Pegg, who manages Nicky Jenman. I’ve been following Nicky because he just lost an IBO Title fight in controversial circumstances. I like Nicky’s attitude, he was one of the people we were looking at to fight Liam originally because he’s always in good fights, and if you’re not prepared physically and mentally then you’ll struggle against him.
“So, it’s a great opportunity for Nicky and he’s taken the fight with both hands. I don’t think, in England, at this short notice we could have got anyone better who will put up a great fight. If Liam isn’t on top of his game then Nicky will expose him, it will be a great television fight and this is a good test for Liam. He has all the ability but if he doesn’t turn up with the same attitude he had against Sheedy then he would struggle against both Danny Butler and Nicky Jenman. We’ll find out after the first round what sort of Liam Cameron has turned up.
“Liam is a very experienced amateur, an ABA champion, he has great pedigree and if he can’t handle an opponent change at short notice then he’s not the fighter we all think he is. I think Liam will handle it well, he’ll cope because he can adapt but he has to have the right attitude.”
Dennis Hobson Promotions presents Liam Cameron defending his Commonwealth Middleweight Title against Brighton’s Nicky Jenman at the Ice Sheffield Arena (S9 5DA) on April 27. Also appearing will be Doncaster’s Craig Derbyshire defending his Central Area Super Flyweight Title against Sheffield’s Tommy Frank.
For ticket information call 0114 243 4443.
The show will be broadcast live on Freesports. For more information visit www.freesports.tv