Sheffield's Liam Cameron suffers punishing Manchester defeat
Liam Cameron was stopped by Manchester's Bradley Rea inside four rounds on Saturday
Liam Cameron has two remaining fights on his contract with Frank Warren to rescue his rollercoaster career.
The Sheffield light heavyweight was stopped by Manchester's Bradley Rea inside four rounds on Saturday, after twice being decked.
Rea had repeatedly arrowed through his high guard to punish the 35-year-old, at Manchester's Co-op Live Arena.
Such was the speed and ruthlessness of the TKO, it left seasoned boxing commentator Adam Smith suggesting the Steel City man's career might be over.
Cameron, now 24-8-1, has won once in five outings, against decent level opponents.
He has two more contracted fights under the Queensberry banner, though, so Sheffield fight fans will be hoping they have not seen the last of him.
Cameron, whose previous fight was at the same venue - a unanimous decision win over Troy Jones despite a neck injury - had been underdog against the fellow Queensberry fighter.
The pre-fight omens had looked good.
Liam had worked harder than ever in his training camp and displayed a steely focus as he walked to the ring serenaded by UB40's "Can't Help Falling in Love."
But he was in for a shock.
After an early battle of the jabs, former European champion Rea, 28, unleashed a combination of head shots just before the end of the first round.
Liam, forced on the back foot after the break, was marked around his left eye and began bleeding from the nose.
The Manor fighter needed to find something to put a dent in Rea's confidence, yet he was forced to spend most of his time holding back the tide.
Round four was just too much.
Cameron was felled by a heavy left hook to the side of his face and then downed again by an uppercut.
The towel went in as referee Bob Williams simultaneously waved it off.
Rea's pulverising pink gloves had finished the night one minute and 35 seconds into the fourth round.
To the victor the spoils: Liam sportingly applauded Rea, shrugged his shoulders and departed, while the Mancunian (22-2) took the WBA Inter Continental belt and predicted he will sell the Co Op Arena out one day.
It was only the second time in Cameron's 17-year professional career that he had been stopped, Ben Whittaker TKO'd him 13 months earlier.
Now he will doubtless talk with trainer Pearce Gudgeon and the rest of the Steel City team about his future.
The bout happened on the undercard of the Fabio Wardley v Daniel Dubois WBO World Heavyweight title fight.
Dubois won by stoppage in the 11th round.