Cameron Vuong would not be denied. He had a plan in mind, as well as a certain gym and trainer in mind, and refused to take “no” for an answer. If it meant doorstepping the trainer, so be it. If it meant hearing “no” but considering it a “maybe”, so be it. All Vuong knew was that he would in the end get what he wanted.

“The first time Cameron came to my gym he asked me to train him,” said Jamie Moore, Vuong’s first choice. “By then I had already told Sam Jones [Vuong’s manager] “no” twice because I was too busy at the time, but then Sam sort of set me up. He said, ‘Cameron’s coming to Liverpool. Can he come and meet you for a coffee?’” 

Although his instinct was to again deny him, Moore could see no harm in Vuong turning up for a coffee and a chat, so this time relented. Not only that, he saw an opportunity, having earlier been let down by a sparring partner who was that day set to spar Jack Catterall, one of Moore’s best boxers. As well as hear him out, then, Moore also now wanted to proposition Vuong and discover just how willing he was to take a risk. 

“Listen,” Vuong said to Moore, “I just want to get away and focus on boxing. I want to put my complete focus into boxing. I like the way your lads fight and I’d like to come here.”

“Have you got your gum shield?” said Moore, getting straight to the point. 

“Why?” asked Vuong. 

“I need some sparring for Jack today because I’ve been let down.”

Vuong need not be asked twice. Ready for anything, he not only had his mouthpiece to hand, but he also had enough self-belief and courage to get into the ring and spar one of Britain’s finest technicians at a moment’s notice.  

“Now, obviously, Jack at the time was well-established, so for a 19-year-old kid to spar him, just like that, said a lot,” recalled Moore. “Also, because of how good technically Jack is, he doesn’t really say anything positive about anyone because he can generally negate what they’re doing in there. But they sparred six rounds that day and Jack said to me, as I was taking his headguard off, ‘Fucking hell, he’s good, him, you know.’”

It was, in the end, all Moore needed to hear. He had by then seen enough with his own eyes to question his original decision, but now, with Catterall’s testimony ringing in his ears, he had every reason to reassess the situation entirely. “I thought, Fuck it, why not?” he said. “And I’m glad I did because he’s a lovely kid. I’ve really enjoyed helping him out.”

 

**

 

Cameron Vuong would not be denied. He had a plan in mind, as well as a route to victory, yet somewhere along the way had been knocked off course and now needed to get back on track. Now, whether he liked it or not, he was being dragged towards places completely new to him. Now his opponent, Gavin Gwynne, was winning rounds and coming on strong. Now his six-fight unbeaten record was in danger of being spoiled. 

“The reason we matched him with Gavin Gwynne was because I knew he would be under that type of pressure and I knew that’s the type of style that will in the long run give Cameron the most problems,” explained Moore, Vuong’s coach. “It just made sense to give him the lessons early so he can learn from them and build on it as time goes on, rather than find out the hard way in a British title fight.”

As much a learning experience for Moore as it was for his 22-year-old fighter, the feeling the trainer got when watching Vuong navigate rough terrain with Gwynne in November was not too dissimilar to the feeling he got when watching Vuong step up and spar Jack Catterall with no hesitation. Before his eyes he saw a boy become a man. He saw things in Vuong that a coach cannot teach. He saw the tell-tale signs of someone who would not be denied. 

“That Gavin Gwynne fight told me that he is one ballsy little bastard,” said Moore. “You can look at him from the outside and see him with the flashy shorts and see that he’s very flamboyant and dances to the ring, but when it comes down to it, and when the shit hit the fan against Gavin Gwynne, he bit down on his gum shield and dragged it out of himself. For such a young pro having only his seventh fight, he showed some real big bollocks that night. 

“It was a close fight. I did think he won it on the night – by a round – but I wouldn’t have argued if it had gone the other way.”

Vuong ultimately got the decision – unanimously – after 10 rounds. He had, according to the three ringside judges, won a close fight by a point on one card, two points on another, and three on the third. More important than the verdict, though, was what the experience did for Vuong, now 7-0 (3), and how it will go on to shape him. 

“He seems so much more mature now,” said Moore. “He seemed like a kid before the Gwynne fight and now he seems like a man. In a way, too, the fight humbled him a bit. He probably thought the fight wasn’t going to be as difficult as it was. He knew he would be better technically than Gavin but I don’t think he realised how hard Gavin could push the fight down the stretch. Maybe that experience has put his feet firmly on the ground now. We all need that from time to time; that reminder. You need that little wake-up call whenever you get ahead of yourself. After that you know you need to keep grinding and keep working on stuff. It’s good for you.”

Vuong’s next fight takes place this Friday at Altrincham’s Planet Ice, where he will fight Jordan Flynn, a fellow unbeaten prospect six years Vuong’s senior. Unlike Vuong, Flynn, 11-0-1 (1), has yet to step up and face someone as good as Gavin Gwynne, though his draw against Kane Baker in 2023 suggests the Oxford native hasn’t had everything his own way. 

“He’s not been in that type of [Gavin Gwynne] fight, but that doesn’t mean he can’t do it,” said Moore. “If you’re talking about a fighter coming through, at some point they have all got to step up and find themselves in a position they have never been in before. It’s then sink-or-swim time. Just because Jordan hasn’t been there yet doesn’t mean he can’t do it. But there’s been a few little clues that he might struggle. He’s got that draw on his record against Kane Baker, who is a fighter I don’t think is anything special. For instance, Aqib Fiaz beat Kane Baker in his sixth fight, so for Jordan to have drawn with him…

“This fight has probably come at the wrong time for Jordan Flynn. He’s a good, solid fighter, but in terms of talent, I feel Cameron is above and beyond. For me, Cameron is one of the best prospects in the country.

“Anyone who can share a ring with Jack Catterall and give him a hard, technically difficult spar is a quality fighter. Then, when you add to that the fact that I now know he has got a great engine and a big set of balls on him, you realize there’s a chance he can be an overall brilliant fighter. The only thing that will ever let him down is discipline. But I’ve not had any reason to worry so far. Quite the opposite. He’s one of those fighters who has to be held back. But discipline is something all fighters have to maintain throughout their career and Cameron is no different in that respect.”

Discipline, hunger and persistence are the three things Cameron Vuong called upon to get what he wanted when looking for a coach and they were the three things he then used when his unbeaten record was under threat back in November. They are also the three things his coach believes will take him to the very top.