Shane "The Mountain Warrior" Cameron is hoping to be back in the ring by the end of this year. Cameron, 33, is still nursing his surgically repaired right hand. The troublesome right hand was injured in his knockout win over Dominic Vea, in Sydney last month, which saw him crowned Commonwealth cruiserweight champion.

Cameron had surgery on the hand 10 days ago, and said it was a slow process back to full health.

"It's going to be another eight weeks before I can do some light training, but until then, it's all re-hab work. I'd like to be back in the ring now, but that's out of the question, so maybe the last weekend of November. If not, then after the Christmas break.

Cameron said with a fight against former IBO world cruiserweight title holder Danny Green out of the question until his rematch for the belt with American Antonio Tarver, he was weighing up his options.

"There are several pretty exciting prospects, but nothing I can go into at this stage.

"With [Green] entitled to a rematch, he's going to do that, so he's out. My goal is to still be a world champion ... New Zealand hasn't had a world champion for a very, very long time and that's still my main goal.

He said he had "two or three more years" left in boxing, and was taking his time away from the ring to look at other business ventures, so he had something to fall back on after boxing.