BEN Whittaker turned professional with much fanfare. The demand for his signature was beyond high. The price kept going up until Ben Shalom and Boxxer secured that golden signature. In many ways, he came at a cost. Was it money wasted? On Easter Sunday, we will find out the answer to that question.
There have been glimpses of his potential. Highlights of his patented showboating blew up on social media. His following grew with each clickbaited clip. Whittaker seemed set for superstar status. But there have been frustrations along the way. Niggling injuries have stalled his progress somewhat. Heavy criticism of his opposition and some of his performances has dulled at least some of the hype around him.
The lack of a truly devastating punch was obvious from very early on. The feeling from many was that when he stepped up in class, his opponents would simply walk through him. Even more concerning was his lack of defence. Some may argue that Whittaker was fighting down to the level of his opposition. But I’m not so sure. Constantly getting caught by punches is a very hard habit to break.
Even before his fight with Liam Cameron last year, Ben Whittaker had largely flattered to deceive. But that bizarre ending last October, and those claims that Whittaker took the easy way out, have left him with plenty to prove on Sunday night in Birmingham in his rematch with Cameron. The ‘quit’ label will be hard to escape from.
With the greatest of respect to the inspirational Liam Cameron, if Whittaker is anything like the fighter many claim him to be, the result on Sunday shouldn’t be in doubt. But it is. Based on what we saw at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Cameron has a real shot at beating the Olympic silver medallist in Birmingham. He will likely fancy it even more the second time around.
Cameron will view the last fight as the one that got away. Whittaker was seemingly fading, and fast, just before that WWE Royal Rumble-type ending last year. The upset was very much in the air long before the two combatants fell clumsily over the ropes.
It was a night where, even before that strange anticlimactic ending, Whittaker had looked far from comfortable. In truth, he looked distinctly uncomfortable. Whittaker has admitted he was exhausted in the fight. Many will believe Liam Cameron was denied a famous victory. But is this one of those occasions where his best chance has already gone?
They fight again this Easter weekend, a chance for both fighters to remove all lingering doubt. But that doubt could also apply to all those bold claims about how far Whittaker can go.
The rematch carries real jeopardy for Whittaker. His whole career could very easily be on the line in Birmingham. Liam Cameron has a chance to change his life. Ben Whittaker could be fighting to save his career. In simple terms, it doesn’t really matter how it comes. He just has to win. Forget the show business. Just do the business.
Even the bookies see a sense of doubt. They only have Whittaker somewhere around the 2/7 favourite to beat a fighter who already has six defeats on his record and currently sits outside of the top 10 domestic light-heavyweights. After nine professional fights, this isn’t where Whittaker and his promoter thought he would be. This isn’t where he should be.
Despite flashes of brilliance, something has been missing almost from the beginning of a professional career that started so brightly in 2022. It’s just not happened for him. Certainly not in the way Whittaker or his backers envisaged.
Whittaker has more than hinted that there were problems behind the scenes before the first fight. Persistent injuries were likely only part of the problem during his last training camp. An admission that he more or less did what he wanted in preparation was eye-opening, but equally, not that surprising. Stories of Whittaker overlooking Cameron and crashing the weight are digestible.
As are suggestions that he fought the wrong fight. You can give Whittaker the benefit of the doubt for what happened last time, but there can be no more excuses this time. Even this early in his career, it might already be a case of now or never. Forget the show. He just needs to show up.
Whittaker does appear to realise what’s on the line on Sunday. Now aligned with Andy Lee, Whittaker knows he has to get serious. Lee is in great demand at the moment for his services, and for good reason. Linking up with Lee is a good sign.
If the working relationship stands the test of time, it could be an absolute masterstroke. Lee has given Whittaker some much-needed structure. Could we finally see the fighter he was meant to be? Cameron might well find a completely different fighter in front of him the second time around.
I wouldn’t be that surprised if Cameron finished what he started in Riyadh. But I think Ben Whittaker will win. But the fact that I’m not totally convinced he will win probably speaks volumes about where the former Olympic medallist is right now in his career. Now more than ever, Whittaker needs to deliver.
