Boxing
'I believe I'm the better fighter!' - Bradley Rea and Liam Cameron ready for light-heavyweight war
Wardley vs. Dubois on DAZN TONIGHT - BUY HERE NOW
"I don't think I've got anything he doesn't have," Bradley Rea says of Liam Cameron. "But I don't think he's got anything I haven't either."
The two men share a respect for each other's skills, even if each man sees themselves as the superior fighter when it comes down to it.
"I think I've been in with bigger names," the Sheffield man says of Rea. "I believe I'm the better fighter, a hundred per cent. I know I am."
It adds a natural edge to the pair's imminent collision in the ring on Saturday night, on the Fabio Wardley-Daniel Dubois bill in Manchester.
Warriors promise all out war
Watch: Wardley vs Dubois: Final Words
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For Rea, it marks a chance to vault straight back into the mix for leading contenders. For Cameron, it offers an opportunity to maintain form.
"It's a great fight, a great matchup," the former says. "I feel that maybe I've a little bit of speed and power. I'll try to use that to my advantage.
"He would probably say that he has things in his game that he does better than me, but it's down to both of us to try and exploit each other."
'I'd be sat at those shows on Row Z!'
For Rea, back on home soil once again after last November's loss to Lyndon Arthur, it is a chance to continue living out his childhood dreams.
"There's nowhere else in the world I'd rather fight," he says with a grin. "I absolutely love fighting in this city. I used to go to Manchester Arena.
"I'd be sat at those shows on Row Z, all the way in the cheap seats, thinking how I couldn't wait to fight on these big cards - and now, I'm here."
Certainly, it offers greater security and enjoyment for the star, who saw his start to 2025 scotched by a succession of late-bout cancellations.
Rea acknowledges that it was difficult to weather too, particularly without a major-name promoter or a belt at his back to help smooth the path.
"I'm a risky fight for people," he concurs. "I had to fight on a few small-hall shows to make sure I didn't go stale. It was tough for me last year.
"There's times where you question it in your head. I've got rent and bills to pay, a family now. But staying ready has worked in my favour now."
Rea lost his European light-heavyweight title in agonisingly close fashion to Arthur, despite scoring a second-round knockdown over his foe.
But he has taken the defeat as the learning curve he needs. "I've shown the level I can mix it at," he notes. "We've gone back to the drawing board.
"You learn on the job as you go, and I'm going to put it right. I've always believed I'm good enough to get to this stage. This is all I know how to do."
'I have to beat people like this!'
For Cameron, the stakes are perhaps different. Seven years older than his opponent, his time in the ring is likely to be finite from here on out.
He outboxed Troy Jones on the same bill as Rea's loss to Arthur, securing a needed win after his rematch defeat to Ben Whittaker back in April.
His current run of arena shows fills him with a sense of pride, he admits. "I feel more worthy. It's not nice on the small-hall circuit. It's not nice."
Cameron pauses. "It's got to be done, but... There's more people. You want to be appreciated for stepping into the ring, putting your heart on the line."
Queensberry/Leigh Dawney
The star has upped his regime in preparation, in part because he is able to after shifting a neck injury that he carried into his fight with Jones.
"It was killing me," he notes. "I made [the win] harder work than I should have. This last year has been a tough one. Now it's resolved, I'm back fit."
He will not be drawn on what comes beyond this bout, though, with a three-fight deal with Queensberry on the table, Cameron's future is secured.
Hopes to be more active in 2026, spring eternal do, as does the dream of a fight with an Anthony Yarde-type. But 'Cannonball' knows what he must do.
"I think Brad's got a great heart," he concludes. "But I have to beat people like this. For where I want my career to end, I've got to be beating Brad Rea."
Watch Wardley vs. Dubois only on DAZN
The WBO world heavyweight title is on the line for Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois this Saturday, May 9, only on DAZN PPV. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with the Usyk vs Verhoeven (May 23), Fury vs. Hall (June 13) and Zayas vs. Ennis (June 27) PPVs, with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.
