by Johnny Walker
American heavyweight veteran Monte “Two Gunz” Barrett has been ruffling feathers in the land Down Under as his fight with homegrown challenger Shane “Mountain Warrior” Cameron–set for this Thursday in Auckland, New Zealand–draws near.
Barrett (35-9-2, 2O KOs) has been ridiculing the recently retired local hero and former top heavyweight David “Tuamanator” Tua in the local press, calling him a “fat, lazy slob” and a “coward” in the effort to jar the Tuaman out of retirement and back into the ring with him for a third installment of their pugilistic rivalry.
The WBO Asia Pacific and Oriental champ Barrett has also been mostly dismissive of Cameron (28-2-0, 21 KOs), who was demolished by Tua back in 2009 in two brutal rounds.
The New Yorker’s trash-talking has raised his profile Down Under, and with that comes some resentment from the locals, including the Cameron camp–and more specifically, Cameron’s manager, Kenny Reinsfield.
“Monte always has plenty to say. But he has been put on his backside more than a two-dollar hooker,” Reinsfield tells Auckland Now.
Reinsfield contends that Barrett’s no-holds-barred slagging of Tua is over the line, and thinks the American benefited last time out from a Tuaman who was distracted by personal problems –namely an ugly divorce from his wife, Robina.
“Barrett is only known because he beat David Tua,” says Reinsfield.
“Every fight he has ever stepped up to that extra level he’s been beaten. He got Tua when he had his own issues [divorce], when he wasn’t focused on the fight in-front of him.
“Had he got Tua on a normal time the result would have been a lot different. Hopefully Shane will be able to expose that and shut his mouth on behalf of David Tua as well.
“I don’t like him coming down here bagging David. He’s done ten-times more than Monte Barrett has ever done. We’re really looking forward to the fight.”
To prepare for Barrett, Cameron flew to the United Kingdom to train with none other than previous Barrett conqueror and future Dereck Chisora opponent David Haye, who is picking the underdog Kiwi to upset the brash American veteran.
“I know Monte Barrett pretty well. I’ve been giving Shane some tips about what to utilise in his fight,” Haye said recently.
“Just in case Monte is reading, I don’t want to give too much away. All I’ll say is if Shane does what he’s been doing in the gym here, he will be the victor. When I fought Monte I was the better fighter and I believe Shane will also reign supreme. He’s in fantastic condition.”
Cameron himself is anxious to prove that he can rise to the occasion against a name opponent, having failed so miserably against Tua.
“Personally, for myself, I have to make a statement,” Cameron says.
“And for the nation. I want to bring those [WBO Asia Pacific and Oriental] titles back to New Zealand.”
And Reinsfield is hoping that Barrett’s preoccupation with David Tua is taking his mind off the task at hand.
“We are not underestimating Monte,” Reinsfield says.
“He’s got a good punch, but it sounds like he’s underestimating Shane, which is a good thing for us.”
