‘As Ben Whittaker’s promoter, I will look back and be grateful for Liam Cameron’

Promoter Ben Shalom believes that the lessons Ben Whittaker learned during his controversial draw with Liam Cameron will make the talented light heavyweight an even better fighter in the future. 

Whittaker had become embroiled in a real struggle with the former Commonwealth middleweight champion on October 12 when, at the end of the fifth round, they fell into a clinch and toppled backwards over the ropes. Whittaker was unable to continue and left the arena in a wheelchair as the result was announced to the crowd. 

Given the way the fight was panning out, Cameron and his team are understandably keen for a second crack at Whittaker and have tried to keep the controversy front and center of the boxing news cycle ever since. 

For his part, the Olympic silver medallist has kept his counsel on the fight, the unusual ending and the apparent neck and ankle injuries he suffered during the now infamous tumble over the ropes.

Whittaker, 8-0-1 (5 KOs), has begun to emerge from his hibernation in recent days. The 27-year-old made a couple of cryptic posts on social media and on Wednesday his promoter, Ben Shalom, appeared on Sky Sports News to provide an update on his progress.

“The rematch is front and center in the mind of Team Whittaker,” Shalom said. “I think, first and foremost, because of the neck injury and because it kept him out so long last time, there are precautions that we have to take. He will have to do some rehab. 

“We’re talking about March or April. I’d like to headline in Wolverhampton. That was the original plan. That was what we were looking at for September last year.”

Nobody but Whittaker will ever know what went through his mind at the end of that fifth round but What is indisputable and clear to anybody who watched the fight is that he turned in a below-par performance.

Any fighter can have an off night but when Whittaker examines what went wrong in Riyadh, he may be alarmed at just how ragged he became at such an early stage of proceedings. 

Cameron didn’t produce any fireworks or pose any particularly complicated problems but he was neat, tidy and determined. He held his shape during the early stages of the fight and was able to steadily ratchet up the pressure as the rounds ticked by.

Whittaker is renowned as a hard trainer and may well have found his second wind and re-established control of affairs but the fight only looked to be going one way when it came to its sudden and unsatisfactory conclusion. 

Shalom believes that far from doing irreparable damage to Whittaker’s reputation and confidence, the entire experience could end up having a positive effect on his career.

The truth always reveals itself and if Whittaker had begun to take his talent for granted, Cameron was robust and talented enough to shine a light into the dark, hard parts of his preparation that may have been neglected. 

“It was a difficult night. It’s alright people telling you things in life. Sometimes you have to experience those,” Shalom said.

“He’s had such a meteoric rise and been given everything in a way that he’s deserved on a plate. Big sponsorship deals, commercial brands flying at him. Money that no fighter at that stage of their career usually ever sees. I’m not making excuses for him but that’s a lot to take in for any young man.

“I think from that experience you can learn a hell of a lot. Because of the attention, because of the scrutiny, because of the interest in his career, he’s had a serious moment in his career that had a big impact and was seen all over the world. That takes big shoulders and a man to work out what’s gone wrong. As his promoter I think I’m going to look back and be glad of this experience because it’s not often you can have an experience like this to prepare you for what it’s like when you get to that world level. 

“Fingers crossed for me. He’s gotta look at his team. He’s gotta look at having world class people around him as a world class talent and it gives him an opportunity to prove people wrong, which he loves to do.”