Las Vagas comes to Gisborne!

Ex-Gisborne boxing hero, Shane Cameron is to fight Detroit toughie and former prisoner Leo Paco Nolan in Gisborne for the WBO Asia Pacific and Oriental heavyweight titles.

Cameron's home homecoming fight promises to be the most significant boxing event that New Zealand has hosted for many years and to bring it to Gisborne will make this a special must see occasion.

Cameron's manager Ken Reinsfield is rapt with the match-up.

Nolan is a former USBO champion with good wins over recent Holyfield opponents Lou Savarese and Jeremy Bates.

"Just like Shane's last opponent, Terry Smith (who Cameron beat by unanimous decision), Nolan has never been stopped," Reinsfield said.

Nolan, like Cameron, is six-foot-two tall, boasts a record of 28 fights for 27 wins and just one loss

"Our US-based matchmaker Sampson Lewkowicz has done another great job with this one. Nolan is an opponent with an outstanding record."

The crowd, however, will have only one name on their lips when Nolan gets into the ring with one of Gisborne's favourite sons.

Nolan, 36, rates his jab as his best punch. While not a lot is known about him, his career was "delayed" in the late 1990s when he spent four years in prison after an incident in which he was shot five times by an off-duty police officer.

He last fought in October after nearly two years out of the ring, coming back with a unanimous eighth-round decision.

Cameron's 22 wins - 19 by KO - and just one loss have him ranked sixth on the World Boxing Organisation's heavyweight list and 15th by the International Boxing Federation.

He has long hankered for a homecoming fight, as have plenty of his fans around the district.

"He's back in training and getting ready for the fight," says Reinsfield. "Shane is so excited about bringing this to Gisborne. It's going to be awesome."

Reinsfield and Tourism Eastland want "The Homecoming Fight" to be a family affair and have priced tickets accordingly.

Tickets for schoolchildren are $15, adults $35, a family pass for two adults and three children $100, a grandstand seat $55, a ringside seat $85 and corporate tables $3000 for 10.

It will be a daytime event, starting at 3pm, with an exciting undercard featuring some of the district's top rising stars alongside the likes of New Zealand champion Daniella Smith, Lee Oti, Steve Heremaia and Auckland-based American Chauncy Welliver.

A large LCD screen will be set up but Reinsfield said there would be good views from everywhere.

There will be food and bar stalls around the grounds and hopes are high the fight will attract around 10,000 people.

Seating plans can be seen on Tourism Eastland's website - www.gisbornenz.com - or at the i-Site information office in Grey Street.

Tourism Eastland events co-ordinator Karl Geiseler said while there had been no advertising, they had been fielding calls from all over the country.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a world-class fight live. People understand that and just don't want to miss out."

He urges anyone keen for allocated seating to get in early.

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