Hammond is currently number 15 in the WBA Welterweight division – a class which is headlined by American world champion Floyd Mayweather.

Manager Matt Clark said he continued to be amazed by the progress Hammond had made in such a short period of time.

“It’s an absolutely massive achievement to be ranked in the top 15 in your division in the world. It’s better than the Olympics in my opinion,” Clark said.

“To be honest I thought they might have told Cameron he needed to defend his Oceania crown once or twice before he was world-ranked but the WBA think otherwise. It shows they rate him highly.

“It normally takes someone 15 or 16 fights to get into the world rankings so for Cameron to do it after 10 is fantastic.”

Clark believed Hammond’s bout with Alfredo Rodolfo Blanco in Moree was his toughest challenge by far in his professional career but he was impressed with the way he paced himself.

“He passed with flying colours,” he said.

It is believed Hammond’s world ranking means he can fight for a world title if the opportunity arose, but Clark said the main focus at the moment would be on defending the WBA Oceania crown.

“He’ll continue to improve out of sight over the next 12 to 18 months and the people of Moree should be absolutely ecstatic for him.

“We’re in no rush with Cameron; it usually takes about 22 fights for a boxer to reach his full potential,” he said.

“Ricky Hatton was impressed with Cameron last Saturday night and he’s a very good judge. He thinks Cameron can be a world champion, so that’s good enough for me.”