Liam Cameron would be better paid and win more under me, claims Dennis Hobson
Promoter Dennis Hobson was an influential figure during Liam Cameron's arrival on the boxing scene.
The two didn't always see eye-to-eye though, and parted company.
Liam underwent some trouble times and spent five years away from the sport. He is now starting to build a new reputation for himself though- the 33-year-old Manor light heavyweight recently going 10 rounds with former world champion Lyndon Arthur.
So does Dennis harbour any regrets about their relationship?
Q: What are your thoughts on Liam?
A: I’ve never questioned Liam’s ability; I just questioned his mentality because he played the victim instead of putting his hand up and accepting what had happened.
Everybody makes mistakes, and I really did think a lot about Liam.
I got him rated with the IBF, nobody else did, that was me lobbying for him. And I got him the opportunity to fight for a Commonwealth because I believed in him, ability-wise, and I still do.
It would’ve been nice for us not to have had the issues and I’ve never really had a wrong word with him, but he listens to other people. I always liked him and rated him and I do believe we could have gone on to win bigger things but he just stopped listening and listened to people around him.
I think he’s still got mileage left in him and could win something but I do know if he was with us he’d have more chance of winning something.
He’s never done anything major bad to me, he’s just he’s made some wrong decisions.
I don’t think he’s a bad kid, he’s done and said some stupid things but I’ve heard a lot worse!
He’s still fresh and that recent loss against Arthur, if he’d been with us he would have got paid a lot more money and he’d probably have a better chance of winning.
I got him opportunities in the past and could do again. It won’t make a difference to my life but I did used to think a lot about Liam.
Q: Heavyweight Kash Ali was making progress under you but most recently lost to Joe Joyce - do you think he still has a future?
A: I don’t really know how much appetite Kash has got for it and it’s a shame we parted ways.
We were a good team but we lost contact and it’s like in any relationship, whether it’s business or personal, if you don’t communicate, things break down.
Sometimes kids think the grass is greener and I was disappointed because I really thought a lot of Kash. He lost his way and it’s a shame but I think he should maybe retire because I don’t know how much appetite he’s got for the game any more.
Q: It’s early days for your heavyweight Adrian King who boxes in his hometown of Beverly on July 20 (live and free to on Fightzone.) Realistically, how far do you think he can go?
A: I’ve seen him doing things, picking things up very quickly, he’s like a sponge. Potentially he could be a bit special; the ingredients are there.
At Fight Academy, we’re not going to rush him, we’ll put him in the right fights at the right time.
I’m quite excited about him and quietly confident, he could be a big big player for us at Fight Academy and Fightzone.
He looks the part, he’s a big unit, but he’s still got to get his man-strength and his man-mentality, if that makes sense.
He only had two amateur fights so Curtis is taking him around the gyms with the big names and he’s getting the experience and some good sparring.
So, he’s learning on the job and it’s a case of just going slowly with him.
He’s a work in progress and we’re just looking forward to enjoying the journey with him.
Q: Adrian is trained by former Sheffield United player and British Super Lightweight Champion Curtis Woodhouse - in your opinion, how good was Curtis as a fighter?
A: He was a bit like Clinton Woods in that he wasn’t flashy but he got the job done.
He may not have been the most technically gifted but he made up for it with his work rate, endeavour and will to win.
He had to learn on the job and it’s unique what he’s achieved. I don’t think he turned pro until he was 26 or 27 and it was a fantastic achievement, winning a British Title.
Who knows what he could have achieved if he had started at a younger age?
Q: Doncaster’s Craig Derbyshire headlines your show in Beverley defending his Commonwealth Light flyweight title against Paul Roberts - do you think Craig has it in him to push on to even bigger titles?
A: Since we got involved with him, what he’s gone on to achieve has been special.
I get on with Craig and his trainer really well and wanted to try and help manoeuvre him and get him an opportunity because nobody’s really given Craig an opportunity. He’s such a little warrior. He’s had some great wins over the last two years and if he’d had somebody like us behind him earlier who knows what he could have achieved.
I don’t know how many fights he’s got left in him and he’s got to defend his Commonwealth Title against Paul Roberts, which is going to be a tough fight, but if Craig comes through that, I’ll be knocking on the door of the IBO World Champion and seeing if there’s any appetite for them to defend against Craig.