By James Slater: 40-year-old veteran Monte “Two Gunz” Barrett isn’t planning on retiring any time soon. Coming off his rematch win over win over Samoan powerhouse David Tua, who scored a 12th-round knockdown and busted Barrett’s jaw in the process last August, will next face a man Tua crushed via impressive KO three years ago, in Kiwi Shane Cameron.
It has been announced that the fight, set to top a card called “Heavyweight Explosion” will go down in New Zealand on May 30th. Barrett-Cameron will naturally top the bill, but in an interview with stuff.co.nz, promoter Dave Wiggins said he hopes to have fighters Chauncy Welliver (who was hoping for a shot at Tua), John Hopoate and Mark De Mori in action also, against TBAs. The card is set to be a Pay-per-View event in New Zealand.
Barrett, speaking from his home, said he knows very little about “Mountain Warrior” Cameron.
“Shane Cameron’s like a ghost to me,” Two Gunz said. “I don’t really know too much about him. Ghosts can be good and bad but of course I’m going to get some tape of him to study in training.”
34-year-old Cameron, 28-2(21) dropped down to cruiserweight shortly after being blown away by Tua in Oct. 2009, winning four bouts at the new weight. Now, with Barrett set to rumble with him, Cameron will be bulking back up. May 30th’s fight could well prove lively and exciting.
New Yorker Barrett has revived his career, at least to some extent, with his two game showings against Tua – and now it looks as though he has a good chance of earning himself some more retirement money over in New Zealand. And, as great a guy as he is, and as brave and as courageous as Barrett is, he deserves to bring about an end to his pro career as he sees fit.
And though a fight between “Two Gunz” and Cameron wouldn’t mean all that much as far as the world’s top-ten goes, it could well prove to be a great little action fight as I‘ve said. Barrett may be 40, but he lives in the gym and has something left to offer still. While Cameron may have been blasted out by Tua, but he has to be given a chance against the less-lethal Barrett.
It will also be interesting to see who “Hillyard Hammer” Welliver faces on the card. Perhaps a fight with the winner could happen down the road?