Ben Whittaker entered the ring on Saturday evening with more than a simple revenge match on the line – his pride, his reputation and his future were all to win. And he answered all the questions that followed him since the bizarre and controversial draw last October with Liam Cameron.
This time there were no question points. No monster accidents. No wheelchairs. Just a convincing victory for Whittaker – a performance built not only on skills, but on structure, heart and maturity.
Combining with the new coach Andy Lee clearly poured dividends. The Wolverhampton Showman always had its signature boastful, but it came with sharper fundamentals, a smarter movement and a new resilience that some had doubted that it had.
He finished Cameron in the second round to silence the skeptics and correct the wrongs of their first fight in Saudi Arabia. However, what followed was ugly and unjustified.
Whittaker ran to the corner of Cameron, shouting to his jubilation team before Lee seized his fighter. Once the excitement of Whittaker took place, he and Cameron exchanged words of respect and admiration.
Ben Whittaker, 27, beat Liam Cameron during their revenge on Saturday evening in Birmingham
Combining with the new coach Andy Lee clearly paid dividends for Whittaker (left)
The 27 -year -old finished Cameron in the second round to silence the skeptics
When asked if he spit in the direction of the Cameron team, Whittaker said: “They describe me as a villain, but I work very hard, I rugged like a lion. If a little dribbling came out, Dribble was out.
He continued to add: “Fair Play in Liam, we talked about the ring and he said that nobody had ever struck it like that. What happened in Saudi should happen. I’m still flashy, I’m still moving but when I came here, I have been disciplined. And now people know that I can hit.”
Johnny Nelson was quick to defend Whittaker after the incident with the Cameron team, he said: “It was an emotion that came out. Frustration. Because of what he experienced, he was broadcast. It is he who says, “I am not failed, all you said about me is complete garbage. It is human emotion.
The backdrop of the revenge match was anything but smooth. Their first meeting ended in chaos when the two men fell out of the ring and Whittaker could not continue due to an injury.
The fight went to the scoring cards of the judges, and although he officially marked a draw with the shared decision, many thought that Cameron had done enough to win.
While Whittaker was out of the arena before the decision was even read, criticisms soon accused of leaving – giving the nickname the nickname “Ben quit -Akker”.
Whittaker ran to the corner of Cameron, shouting to his team before Lee grabbed his fighter. Once the excitement of Whittaker has deleted, he and Cameron exchanged words of respect
His last fight in October ended in bizarre circumstances with them passing over the strings
But Whittaker had other ideas.
“I think it was the best chance to get me and he didn’t do it,” he said during revenge. And he was right. Saturday evening was redemption, pure and simple.
While Cameron had been generously rewarded – both financially and promotional – for his efforts in Saudi Arabia, signing with the promotions of Frank Warren Queensberry, Whittaker had returned quietly to the drawing board.
Enter Lee, whose calm influence and technical know-how have helped bring discipline to the Whittaker camp. The result? A more complete fighter who has always dazzled Flair, but who fought with the control of someone determined to rewrite the story.
The revenge itself was not without its own drama. Originally planned for 12 laps, a contractual accident for Whittaker promoters, boxxer, led to animated negotiations.
Cameron finally accepted a 10 -round fight – the same distance as the first fight – in exchange for what he described later as an “absolute fortune”.
Whittaker illustrated to receive medical treatments after falling from the ring in Saudi Arabia
The Olympic silver medalist was then left the arena due to the injury
Ultimately, none of this was important. From the opening bell, Whittaker has taken control. There was no sign of the man accused of bending under pressure.
Instead, there was grain. Determination. The proof that when the lights shine the brightest, Ben Whittaker is not only a reflections rejection showman – he is a real fighter.
The skeptics called him an abandonment. On Saturday evening, Ben Whittaker proved them all.
More to follow …
