Boxers fans are no strangers to witnessing fighters falling prey to the fame, glitz, and glamor that comes with attaining success in the sport. According to Liam Cameron, a fighter from Yorkshire, UK, rising star Ben Whittaker is the latest to succumb to this trap. The two clashed last Saturday in Saudi Arabia on the undercard of the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol showdown.

However, their rivalry extended beyond the ring. Cameron claims that throughout the fight week, the 27-year-old mocked him for his financial struggles and lack of clothing. This comes days after the duo tumbled over the ropes and out of the ring during their fight. Whittaker, who entered the fight as the betting favorite, cited an ankle injury and was escorted out. This lead to the bout being declared a technical split draw.

“It was not nice all fight week,” the 33-year-old said while appearing in an interview with talkSport. “I saw him at [the] airport and I nodded to him, he completely blanked me. They were wearing t-shirts saying ‘bodybag season’. He was slagging my clothes off, my nose. Obviously, I’ve got no money at the minute, well I didn’t have. He’s got all this louis v and he was talking down to me.” 

Whittaker, known for his in-ring antics, could not present his dance moves when faced with the much-experienced Cameron. Despite the Englishman taking the lead in the starting rounds, ‘Cannonball’ dominated in the later rounds. By the 5th-round Whittaker looked visibly almost out of gas, on the verge of getting dropped when the incident happened. 

Regardless, reflecting on his interactions with Whittaker, Cameron admitted that although he felt embarrassed by the taunts, he stayed silent at the time. Cameron recalled thinking he might not have the best clothes, but “I’m gonna keep calm,” adding, “I’m gonna get you… I’m going to show you in that ring.”

This statement came just days after Whittaker found himself in a scuffle with a fan at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. The altercation happened following his fight on Saturday night. In a video obtained by The Sun, ‘The Surgeon’ confronted the fan after asking him not to take pictures. Moreover, he escalated the situation by smashing the fan’s phone.

A witness at the scene reported that Whittaker appeared ready to throw a punch, but security intervened before things escalated. The situation de-escalated when Whittaker agreed to cover the cost of the phone, and the two exchanged contact information. However, in the wake of Cameron’s recent remarks, veteran promoter Lou DiBella has voiced his disapproval of Whittaker’s behavior.

Lou DiBella is not a big Ben Whittaker fan

After a clip of Cameron’s interview surfaced on X, it seems that Lou DiBella finally unleashed his long-held frustration toward Ben Whittaker. “Ability aside, I’m not a Ben Whittaker fan,” he wrote. “I wasn’t when he was an amateur, and less so as a pro.” Reflecting on Whittaker’s actions in prior fights, where he disrespected and clowned his opponents, often journeymen, the promoter lashed out further. “Have been turned off by his in-ring clowning of inferior opposition, which I have found disrespectful of both his opponents and #boxing. Apparently 🤡stuff not limited to the ring.”

https://twitter.com/loudibella/status/1846015571147571511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Trash-talking in a sport like boxing is not something unheard of, but Whittaker’s behavior, as Cameron described it, seems like the perfect case of narcissism. To belittle your opponent even when the cameras are off can mean only one thing—it’s not to hype up a fight. Still, no evidence of such behavior has been provided, and Whittaker hasn’t responded to these claims yet. What do you think about this situation?