Ben Whittaker left on a wheelchair after five rounds of his fight against Liam Cameron.
The Sheffield man walked Whittaker into the ropes near the end of the the fifth and both men plunged over the top rope, with Cameron landing on Whittaker.
Cameron sluggishly was up first, but Whittaker was hurt. He indicated that his leg was injured and said he could not continue.
As a result of what British Boxing Board of Control boss Robert Smith deemed an accidental injury, the fight went to the scorecards after five rounds where the tallies were 58-57 apiece and 58-58, thus resulting in a technical split draw.
It was another viral moment for Whittaker, but not the sort the West Midlands showman would have wanted. The 2020 Olympian, known for his extroverted skillset, had his hands full with Cameron early on but The Surgeon fell to 8-0-1 (5 KOs).
Countryman Liam Cameron, 23-6-1 (10 KOs), whose life spiralled after he was banned from the sport for using recreational drugs and stooped into a life of alcoholism and substance abuse, had been holding his own.
The 33-year-old, a former Commonwealth champion was a touted prospect once. That was Whittaker’s mantle coming in, one of the sport’s bright hopes who said he did not feel far off the main event fighters in Riyadh, Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Whittaker’s faster hands made the difference in the first, jabbing smartly and throwing rights behind them. Cameron, who went the distance with Lyndon Arthur last time out, had a sturdy look about him and in the second he held his hands high and let Whittaker throw shots up and down that looked pretty but didn’t score beyond the arms and gloves.
“Benzo” landed a good right hand early in the third but Cameron had success with both hands in reply.
Cameron’s face was marking up but he buried a couple of lefts into Whittaker’s stomach. It was not all one way. Such as in the fifth, when they threw right hands and Whittaker missed his and Cameron scored with his.
Referee Victor Loughlin gave Whittaker a verbal warning for straying low with his shots and, in front of a sparse crowd, Whittaker was starting to look out of sorts and disorganized.
Then, as Cameron walked Whittaker to the ropes, they both lurched backwards over the top strand and to the canvas the other side and the fight was over.
Cameron felt like he’d done enough to win. Whittaker was later taken to hospital.
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