Ben Whittaker was able to amend the singular blemish on his professional record on Saturday night. Rematching Liam Cameron, their rivalry was given a more conclusive ending.
After Whittaker and Cameron’s first meeting ended in a draw, the two rematched in April 2025 in a headline bout in Birmingham. Despite walking out to a hostile crowd, Whittaker was able to get the ninth win of his career.
A right hand in the second round from Whittaker would wobble Cameron. Then, as ‘The Surgeon’ applied the pressure, the referee called off the bout.
A fired-up Whittaker would rush to the corner of Cameron to celebrate, before Andy Lee and Ben Shalom guided the fighter elsewhere.
Despite Whittaker being known for his showboating and unique style, he was seemingly considered the villain in his story with Cameron by fans. After the fight, Whittaker addressed the situation and circumstances.
Ben Whittaker on being booed against Liam Cameron in Birmingham
Speaking to Boxing King Media, Whittaker gave an insight into his thoughts behind the reception he was given for his headline bout.
“I heard the boos and thought, ‘This is what I want.’ I was smiling backstage. Here we go; it’s time to really silence them… I silenced them from the first round, it was amazing.”
When asked by the interviewer if part of him would rather the crowd cheered him on, Whittaker had an honest response. “No one wants to be hated… But for me, I thought, I’ll take that bad boy role. The boos just fuelled me in a different way. [I thought] They’re all against me tonight, but I’ll show them.”
In terms of Whittaker’s reaction to getting the win, he claimed to be ‘annoyed’ at himself for having an emotional response. “I said, when I win, or when I stop him, just play it cool… Get your hand raised and walk out of the ring.”
“The six months that I went through, the emotions came out.”
Whittaker also added that he felt he should have performed better in his first meeting with Cameron. However, his performance in Birmingham showed what he can do when he is ‘switched on’.
Ben Whittaker let emotions show in post-fight press conference
Following the fight with Cameron, Whittaker conducted a post-fight press conference for the media. Alongside Shalom and Lee, Whittaker showed his emotions.
Whittaker was given credit by his new coach, Lee, for overcoming the criticism he faced following his draw with Cameron. “He’s a fantastic human and person, very generous.”
The comments from former world champion Lee caused Whittaker to get emotional, as he began to shed tears.
When Whittaker began to give his comments, he was interrupted by emotions as he described how he felt since his first meeting with Cameron. ‘The Surgeon’ said that people he considered close to him ‘left him,’ but the six-month period ‘humbled’ him.