Ben Whittaker wants to “quiet the doubters” in an immediate rematch with Liam Cameron.
Whittaker’s October contest with Cameron ended in a bizarre draw when both tumbled over the ropes and crashed out of the ring.
Injuries to his ankle and neck meant Whittaker was unable to continue with the fight. The contest went to the scorecards and the technical decision resulted in a draw.
Criticism, gleefully stoked by Cameron, was subsequently heaped on Whittaker, who made his name winning an Olympic silver medal in 2021 and by sprinkling outrageous showboating into his professional bouts.
But Whittaker won’t shy away from a second fight with the unheralded Cameron.
He is determined to “quiet the doubters”. His target is the rematch, with no interim bouts.
“I want it. I think it’s the right thing next,” declared Whittaker, speaking at an open workout ahead of IBA’s Champions Night.
“I don’t make excuses – I went to the Olympics with a torn rotator cuff and no one heard me mention it before, no one really heard me mention it after so I’m not going to start (with) ‘oh my ankle,'” he added.
“It happens. I couldn’t continue, but when I go and beat him in the next fight, I’ll have a lot to say then.”
On the first fight, he reflected: “I didn’t perform the best on the night which I wanted to.
“Fair play to him, he’s got a career off the back of it.
“For me, at the end of the day, I took a little time off and I’m focused and I’m excited.”
Whittaker continued: “You never know what he’s going to do, with his promotional deal now he might have a different route (in mind), might think: ‘I don’t need that now.’
“But after the back of that, the way people have been talking, it’s only right. I just want to right that wrong, show how good I am and move on to the next.”
‘Expect him to do a job in rematch’
Cheavon Clarke, European title challenger and Whittaker’s Olympic team-mate, told Sky Sports: “I know, from my time spent with him on the squad, that he’ll want to come back and prove to everybody that I’m the guy. I am what I was showing. Hopefully his injuries are quickly recovered and he’s able to get back in and do what he does best.
“I’d expect him to perform and do a good job in a rematch. From what I know of Ben I would expect him to do a solid job. But Liam turned up and he did his thing on the night so credit where credit’s due.
“This is the fight game. It’s different. When you’re an amateur that’s boxing. When you turn professional it’s the fight game. It’s what you sign up for.”
