Cameron Kreal hits the heavy bag as his Uncle and Trainer Jayson Gallegos watches on (Photo: Manny ‘Mitts’ Murillo)
By Chris Robinson
It’s true that a fighter’s record in the sport of boxing is not always indicative of his true worth.
Such is the case with Filipino pugilist Cameron Kreal, who was born in Hawaii and now calls Las Vegas home. Competing in the junior welterweight class, Krael’s 7-7-2 record with 1 stoppage victory doesn’t do justice to the boxing road he has embarked upon.
I remember Kreal very early in his career. Having been embedded in the Las Vegas boxing community for the past six years, I’ve seen several talented amateurs make the leap to the professional ranks.
Kreal’s professional debut was a fun one to watch, as he took on fellow local Taylor Larson, who was trained by Eddie Mustafa Muhammad at the time. The fight was fast-paced and ended up being a majority draw after four rounds.
I could tell that Kreal had a great fighting spirit about him and I made sure to keep a close eye on his career after that match.
With no promotional backing at the time, Kreal began throwing himelf to the wolves, as he took on several tough prospects and fought eight more times in the span of a year across Vegas and California, winning some and losing others.
The 23-year old has shown great resolve while inside of the ring, as well as a rock-solid chin and ability to fight in closed quarters. Kreal has seemed almost reckless with his willingness to take on any and all comers thus far, having fought nine undefeated prospects so far, as well as some tough gatekeepers and veterans.
I’ve seen Kreal fight live plenty of times, as he has had seven bouts in the Vegas area, and he always puts on a good show.
This past September, Kreal pulled off another upset, defeating Roy Jones Jr.-signed Demond “Body Shot” Brock over six rounds for a majority decision at the Sunset Hotel and Casino.
None of his performances were more electric than his last outing, however, as he scored an impressive first round TKO over the usually durable and always game Moris Rodriguez (5-6-1, 3 KO’s) inside of the Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino out here in Vegas.
Rodriguez has been in the trenches with some solid fighters and pulled off a few nice wins himself. A year ago he went eight tough rounds with Vegas fan favorite Jesus “Chuy” Gutierrez, dropping a majority decision, and he figured to give Kreal some rounds.
That wasn’t meant to happen however, as Kreal broke through on Rodriguez halfway through the first round with a barrage of punches, ultimately leaving him sprawled on the deck, unable to continue, as he registered his first stoppage win.
On the surface, the record books will only show that a young kid improved his record to an even .500 but on this night, as I watched Kreal and his team celebrate, including his trainer and Uncle Jayson Gallegos, I knew it signaled something far bigger.
Cameron Kreal has turned a corner his career and weathered the early struggles of the pro boxing game that has got the best of other fighters in similar situations.
Kreal now has T Butler of RHP backing him and he appears to be lined up for a July 26 return in his adopted hometown of Vegas.
Expect more details to be dropping soon, as we at www.HustleBoss.com are now officially “In Search” of Cameron Kreal, as we plan on catching up with him in the gym later this week to get some more updates.
Stay tuned.
Chris Robinson can be reached at CRobinson@hustleboss.com