By Mark Vester
New Zealand heavyweight Shane Cameron (22-1, 19KOs) has secured a new opponent for his homecoming return on March 7 in Gisborne. The fight will be a tuneup before Cameron faces countryman David Tua on June 6. Cameron was scheduled to face Leo Nolan (27-1, 10KOs) of Michigan, but that fight will be dumped due to issues with Nolan being unable to receive a visa to enter New Zealand.
As BoxingScene reported when Nolan was first announced as being a part of this fight, he was involved in some legal trouble a few years ago. He was shot several times by an off-duty cop during an attempted armed robbery. The offense landed him four years in prison and hindered his career by causing a gap from May 1993 to June 2001. That very offense has prevented him from obtaining a visa, at least in a timely manner and he is now being replaced by journeyman Robert Davis (32-9).
Nolan is screaming that Cameron dumped him because there was a chance of an upset that could tear down the already set Tua fight. Cameron's manager Ken Reinsfield says a visa application was sent to Nolan on February 2. Nolan had seven days to return it. Because of the 1996 arrest for armed robbery, they needed the application back very quickly in order to have enough time fight for his entry into the country.
"Shane's real scared that's why he's fighting David Tua three months after Gisborne! No one in their right mind would suggest Leo Nolan and David Tua are on the same level. He was sent the information, he didn't get it to us in time so we changed the opponent," said Reinsfield to Sunday News.
"I can't take a risk as the promoter that we haven't got enough time to get the visa application processed. Nolan is obviously brassed off but that's not my fault. I'm not his mother. He knew he had a time frame which he had to meet and he didn't do it. He can whinge as much as he likes. But I spent $3000 on trying to get this bugger into the country."
Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingvester@gmail.com
