It will be wham, bam and not just glam vows Ben Whittaker

The Darlaston light-heavyweight takes on Liam Cameron over 10 rounds on the undercard of Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev’s unification fight in Riyadh, aiming to make it nine wins from nine in the professional ranks.

Whittaker, silver medallist at the Tokyo Olympics, has earned both fans and critics for his showboating style in the ring, with US rapper Snoop Dogg among those to have shared online videos of the 27-year-old in action.

Yet while Whittaker has been typically quick with the one-liners since arriving in Saudi earlier this week, joking viewers on Sky Sports they could “switch off” after watching his fight on what is a stacked card of highly-anticipated bouts, he was also keen to point out the hard work which goes on behind the scenes in preparation.

“Apart from the showboating, hopping on one leg and the head taps, I go away to my camp and try to improve that one per cent,” he said.

“I try and get great sparring in and that is where you learn. Cut all the glitz and glam out and I do really work hard. I do make sure each fight I am improving and that is what I want to show.

“Of course you want to steal the show. But a win is all that matters.”

Whittaker’s biggest aim will be show a killer instinct after being taken the distance in each of his last two fights.

Cameron, a former Commonwealth champion at super middleweight, represents comfortably his toughest opponent on paper to date with the 33-year-old having narrowly lost a split decision verdict to former IBO champ Lyndon Arthur in June.

“It is one of those things,” continued Whittaker. “The last two fights were supposed to be steps up but they both went into survival mode.

“It is the same thing with Liam. He has talked a good game but he has to show that on Saturday. I know what I am going to do. What is he going to do?”

Saturday will be Whittaker’s second time fighting in Saudi Arabia but he is heading into this event, which will also feature a British heavyweight title rematch between Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke, with a much bigger profile.

“You see the way they (Saudi Arabia) present the shows, it is glitz and glam,” said Whittaker. “Well, my motto is glitz and glam, so I think we will connect very well.

“Since I have been here it has been very nice but on Saturday, it is going to be a nasty Ben Whittaker.

“Full surgeon mode. I have the gown on, the hat on, the gloves on. We are going to put on a surgery.”