2020 Summer Olympics Silver medalist Ben Whittaker had his highlight reels trending on social media. The 27-year-old was touted as the next big thing to come out of the United Kingdom. However, everything came crashing down on 12th October in Saudi Arabia. Liam Cameron—the opponent ‘The Surgeon’ was expected to dispatch with ease—turned out to be a far greater challenge than anticipated.
Cameron had Whittaker huffing and puffing by the fifth round of their 10-round fight. That’s when all hell broke loose. In the final moments of the fifth round, both men tumbled over the top rope, which left Whittaker with injuries and he was unable to continue. The fight eventually went to the judges and was declared a split draw.
Cameron was quickly signed by Queensberry Promotions, setting the stage for a high-stakes 12-round rematch against the Olympic silver medalist. The pair is expected to duke it out on 20th April at the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham. With less than three weeks in the fight, Cameron is claiming Whittaker’s representatives are trying to reduce the number of rounds in the fight.
“We have signed for a 12-round fight, and they are trying to push it for a 10-rounder, doing everything that they can, and I’m not budging,” said the Sheffield native during an interview with talkSport. “I’m having a 12-round fight. I tried to do it on Gloves Are Off, and they wouldn’t let me speak about it. And on Sky Sports, they didn’t air my interview.”
“This is the problem we are having. I signed a 12-round contract fight,” he told White and Jordan. “When I was signing the contract, I thought, ‘He couldn’t barely get through five rounds, this is weird.’ So, a couple of weeks went by, and they tried to send another contract for a 10-rounder. That shows the confidence levels, I’m ready for 15 rounds…”
Cameron highlighted that Whittaker’s promoter, Boxxer, had made a mistake, thinking they had sent him a 10-round fight contract, “but really it is a 12-rounder.” He also claimed that Whittaker has signed the contract as well, later revealing Frank Warren’s stance on the matter. “He [Warren] is saying that we are not budging no matter what.”
While Whittaker has yet to comment on the matter, Liam Cameron seems to have seen a change in the 27-year-old.
Liam Cameron brands Ben Whittaker as humble and nice
Liam Cameron has noticed a change in Ben Whittaker ahead of their highly anticipated rematch. After the way the fight ended, Cameron accused Whittaker of “quitting,” but now sees a different version of his rival. “He’s changed a bit. He wasn’t the same person just then [on the Gloves Are Off]. Quite humbled, nice guy. Come in with a different approach. I like that,” Cameron told Sky Sports News.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Boxing – Men’s Light Heavyweight – Medal Ceremony – Kokugikan Arena – Tokyo, Japan – August 4, 2021 – Silver medallist Benjamin Whittaker of Britain looks dejected during the medal ceremony. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino
Whittaker, known for his flashy style, is determined to settle the score. “A draw is not what you want, it’s a loss in my eyes, looking to right the wrong really,” he said. With the rematch set, Whittaker is promising his “best version,” while Cameron remains confident he can disrupt his plans once again. And dragging the fight for the full 12 rounds seems to be Cameron’s strategy.
That being said, Ben Whittaker seems to be in some real trouble. While he has the Olympic pedigree, his last performance made it clear that he doesn’t have the stamina or the experience to go the full 12 rounds. And as Cameron suggests, he is not willing to change the contractual 12 round fight. Do you think this will affect Whittaker’s chances of winning?
The post Ahead of Ben Whittaker Rematch, Liam Cameron Exposes Last-Minute Rule Change Dispute appeared first on EssentiallySports.