Ben Whittaker has crammed a lot into eight professional fights.
The light heavyweight is an outstanding talent but it is his unique style and imaginative showboating that has made him a viral sensation. He has quickly crossed over and graduated to the stage where although a good proportion of fans buy tickets to watch him perform rather than fight, a sizeable number tune in hoping to see the Olympic silver medallist get punished.
Pressure and attention can cause some fighters to lose their way and forget the qualities that earned them their platform in the first place. Whittaker, however, is renowned for his dedication to his chosen craft. The 27 year old is a ferocious trainer and, if you watch a full fight rather than a perfectly curated highlight reel, he generally keeps his tricks to himself until he has established a measure of control over his opponent.
“I knew it was gonna happen so I think you prep yourself from young,” Whittaker, 8-0 (5 KOs) told DAZN before he fights Liam Cameron in Riyadh on Saturday. “My style will get hated on or people will say certain things about it. It doesn’t bother me. I think the more they talk about it, the better it is for me. That’s how I look at it
“I’ve always put pressure on myself. In anything you do, I think there’s always pressure but as an elite athlete and if you want to be the top, top guy you need to have that pressure. I think that pressure makes you get better. It makes me train harder. It makes me want to do extra sessions. It makes me want to do extra reps. I think that’s what makes me the man I am.”
In June, the 33-year-old Cameron, 23-6 (10 KOs), pushed former world-title challenger Lyndon Arthur all the way before losing a split decision.
Some have wondered why – if Whittaker really is such a major talent – he isn’t facing Arthur himself rather than the opponent who came up short against him, but Whittaker has been guided sensibly so far and Cameron is a sensible match-up.
The former Commonwealth middleweight champion’s return from a four-year ban and serious personal issues is well documented. He is hungry, determined and, of all Whittaker’s opponents to date, appears the most well equipped to test his ability to fight as well as box. The fight also gives him the opportunity to gauge his performance against Arthur’s.
Whittaker understands the process he must go through before stepping in with the division’s bigger names and, apart from the significant boost Saturday’s event will give his profile, sees plenty of benefits from facing Cameron.
“I think that’s what the journey of a professional boxer is – taking those steps,” he said. “That’s what Saturday is about. It’s another step. It’s a harder opponent. A more game opponent. When I was a young kid, you want to be an Olympic medallist but you can’t go to the Olympics right away. You need to go to the world championships and the Europeans. Learn about yourself and that’s what the pro game is too and I’m learning, I’m developing and I’m getting more confident.”
John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79
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