Comment: Liam Cameron can't end his career on a low
Liam Cameron has a decision to make about his boxing career. His second-round loss to Ben Whittaker in the Midlands on Sunday bloated his bank balance but badly injured his pride.
It is not the way a warrior would want to go out.
And for that reason, I believe the 34-year-old light heavyweight will take a week or so to restore mind and body and then get back into the sport, possibly at a lower weight.
It's his resolution to come to, of course.
But I can't help but think that he would live to regret retiring so soon after reaching such a high level.
It took immense hard work and sacrifice to be awarded a contract by Frank Warren and to come so close, in the first meeting with Whittaker, to becoming a household name across British boxing and beyond.
Most people know how the Sheffielder had come back from the brink of personal disaster with an almost fatal attraction to alcohol and drugs.
He emerged from that era - he was out of the sport for five years - to restart his fight career in October 2023.
Three fights later, he was on a televised ten-rounder against the former IBO World Light Heavyweight champion Lyndon Arthur.
That was followed by the two bouts with Whittaker, a draw in Riyadh, and then Sunday's all-too brief showing in the Midlands.
Liam accepted his bad day at the office with customary good grace and with no criticism of Whittaker, who was briefly embroiled in a flare-up with the away corner.
That quickly fizzled out, now Cameron has to make up his mind whether his campaigning is also at an end.
Today, he told The Star he was going to have a restful time away for a while, before reaching a conclusion.
Perhaps significantly, he added: "We'll see what’s next, there are still big fights and I could now go super middleweight.
"They (Queensberry Promotions) said they are still going to give me big ones, but if (only) I want to.
"There are as many as I need - but always big fights."
Looking back at Sunday, the Steel City fighter refuses to be downbeat.
"How can I be hurt after what I have achieved in my life and in my boxing career?" he said.
"That was something special walking out to that" he said, referring to his ring entrance.
"I will take that to my grave.
"I can't be hurt...my pride is a bit dented" he confessed.
"But thank you to everyone who bought a ticket and supported me through these years, it means a lot whether I pack in boxing or carry on.
Directly after the fight, which was stopped by referee Howard Foster, Liam had said: "I can't say a bad word about Ben. He's changed my life. It took two to tango.
"I put up a good fight the first one, got paid a fortune for this one."
As for Foster's decision to step in, one which was condemned by a lot of fans online, he said: "I'm not going to complain about anything.
"If I'm winning in life, boxing's just nothing, is it?
"Boxing's my job, I'm not going to take that (dejection) into my normal life."
If the former Commonwealth middleweight champion (23-7-1) opts to end his professional campaigning, you'd expect him to coach, he has been doing that already for some time at Grant Smith's gym, which he regards as a family setting.
*Liam's manager Lee Eaton posted on X: Congratulations @BenGWhittaker on your win - none of it’s been personal, but we sold the fight - humble in defeat and wish you all the best for the future."