Darlaston's Ben Whittaker heading back to Saudi Arabia
Darlaston boxing hero Ben Whittaker is heading back to Saudi Arabia as he looks to take another step toward meaningful title shots.
The 27-year-old will face former Commonwealth super middleweight champion Liam Cameron over 10 rounds in Riyadh on October 12 in a fight which represents a notable step up in class.
Whittaker, who won light heavyweight silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, boasts a perfect record of eight wins from eight fights since turning professional two years ago.
Yet Cameron comfortably represents his toughest opponent to date. The 33-year-old, who possesses one of the most extraordinary stories in all of boxing, suffered a narrow split decision defeat to former IBO world champion Lyndon Arthur last month and believes he has plenty more left to give after spending more than five years out of the ring due to a doping ban.
Cameron, a former national amateur champion, was hit with a four-year suspension after traces of benzoylecgonine, a metabolic acid that comes from cocaine, were found in his urine. When his appeal was rejected, Cameron began drinking heavily and at one point was hospitalised after an “overdose” before a return to boxing brought him back to sobriety.
Whittaker will want to ensure the fairytale return goes no further.
The two-time national amateur champion has won no shortage of fans and social media followers for his eye-catching, showboating style since turning over to the paid ranks.
But there has been criticism, in almost equal measure, regarding the standard of some of his opponents.
Whittaker would be quick to point out he is still a relative novice as a professional and needs time to learn, yet he also knows there is increasing pressure to justify the hype and beating Cameron would represent another step up the ladder, four months on from outpointing Ezra Arenyeka in London.
It will be the second time Whittaker has fought in Saudi, having previously beaten Petar Nosic over six rounds in Jeddah two years ago.
The clash with Cameron is part of a bumper show, which is topped by Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev’s fight for the undisputed light-heavyweight title and also features Frazer Clarke’s British heavyweight title rematch with Fabio Wardley.
