Liam Cameron is working with a sports psychologist in hopes of strengthening his already robust mindset ahead of his lithe heavyweight clash with Brad Rea.

Anyone who knows Yorkshireman’s story he will know that reaching this stage in his life required considerable strength and perseverance, not to mention a boxing career.

Because of this, Cameron knows how incredibly crucial it is to maintain a robust attitude, especially in a sport like boxing.

By hiring a sports psychologist, the 35-year-old could gain a fresh perspective on the fear factor surrounding his chosen profession.

And this, as he tells Boxing News, only allowed him to better understand the reasons why he decided to practice the most hard sport.

“As humans, we complicate things. Our minds get carried away, we think about everything too much.

“As boxers, we have to have a surfer’s mindset: we can’t predict what waves will come, but we have to ride the wave when it comes. We can’t think, ‘Oh, this wave is too huge.’

“[The sports psychologist] he sent me a video [actor] Will Smith jumping out of a plane. Nobody forces Will Smith to get on a plane – just like in boxing, nobody forces us to fight.

“But all this fear accumulates in our head, and once we jump, the fear disappears.

“So, [working with a mindset coach has] It made me realize that I only box because I love it.”

Cameron still recalls his passion for the sport, but he’s still riding the wave of his points victory over Troy Jones in November.

It was quite a questionable result and perhaps not his best performance, but Cameron is gaining confidence because he was able to cope with the task after his injury.

“I took the fight on four weeks’ notice and got really badly injured. Being the person I am, I thought, ‘There are levels to this game. I can still beat this guy.’

“So I got into the ring, not being able to hit any huge shots or move my head, and I worked tough for myself. But if I can do that while properly injured, what will I be like now?”

“It was a trapped nerve in the shoulder joint, but it was pulling at my neck. Not many people would go through a struggle with that feeling.”

Indeed, Cameron is able to overcome the pain barrier more than most, even if it means performing a more menial task.

However, having fully recovered from his injury, the former Commonwealth champion is now determined to showcase his technical skills against Rei.

The two opponents will face each other on May 9, appearing on the undercard of Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, where Cameron expects to take full advantage of Rei’s alleged defensive shortcomings.

“We did a lot of southpaw sparring this camp because we know Brad likes change [stances].

“But I grew up in Sheffield, where fighters are often southpaws, so I actually prefer it [fighting] southpaws.

“I think Brad has the heart of a lion when he boxes, but I think that makes him not as good as he should be. He just ends up swinging because he wants to win so bad.”

Believing he is a level above, Cameron expects to convincingly defeat Rhea, the former European champion, yet he is prepared for waves of all shapes and sizes.

Terence Crawford’s reaction to the announcement of Errol Spence Jr.’s return it was low, but a standout from a player who could have permanently changed the direction of Spence’s career.

Spence will return on July 25 against Tim Tszyu in Australia, more than two years after Crawford stopped him in the ninth round of their undisputed welterweight fight in 2023. Since then, Spence has remained out of the spotlight and Crawford added another major achievement by defeating Canelo Alvarez before retiring last December.

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Last update: 2026/05/06 at 18:42

Floyd Mayweather’s 50-0 record is one of the most impressive achievements in boxing, and plenty of legends have been unable to break it, but there is one former opponent who takes issue with his undefeated streak, believing he should have been the one to make the decision during the fight.

In his 50-fight career, Mayweather has rarely been caught tidy, and Shane Mosley was the only opponent to hold his own against the Michigan slickster, despite facing the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto and Manny Pacquiao. But it was another man who gave Floyd his closest fight – and one that many in the sport believe he lost.

I’m talking to ESNEWS this week, José Luis Castillo reaffirmed his belief that he should have made the decision when he first fought Mayweather in April 2002 – considered the American’s most controversial victory.

Mayweather – defending his WBC lightweight title – boxed for much of the fight with a left shoulder injury and was forced to rely heavily on movement and counter-punches with his right hand, while Castillo applied constant pressure and enjoyed success working his body.

Many observers felt the Mexican had done enough to win, but Mayweather retained the belt via unanimous decision (116-111, 115-111, 115-111), with the scoring generating significant controversy and ultimately leading to a rematch later that year.

The American would go on to a more decisive victory, but to this day his first encounter with “El Terrible” remains his most disputed triumph.

Speedy forward to today, and the notable undefeated record could be in jeopardy in the coming months rematch with Pacquiao announced for September.

It would have ended a nine-year period of inactivity at the age of 49, but now the contest has been thrown into doubt after Mayweather stated it would be an exhibition instead. Pacquiao disagrees and claims that binding contracts will guarantee that the fight will take place as announced.