Ben Shalom has recently spoken on Ben Whittaker’s return to the ring. The former Olympian’s last outing was both bizarre and damaging, after an accidental fall out of the ring caused a premature end to Whittaker’s bout against Cameron on the Bivol Beterbiev undercard, ending in a split decision draw.
Allegations that Whittaker quit the fight, which was not going as smoothly as he might’ve wanted, have made a rematch with Cameron highly anticipated.
The Controversial First Encounter
The initial clash between Ben Whittaker, known as “The Surgeon”, and Liam Cameron took place on October 12, 2024, as part of the undercard for the highly anticipated Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol undisputed light-heavyweight title fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Whittaker, a 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, entered the bout with an undefeated professional record of 8-0. Cameron, a decorated amateur with multiple national titles, came in with a record of 23-6.
The fight, which was for Whittaker’s IBF International light-heavyweight title, became a talking point for all the wrong reasons. In the fifth round, a bizarre incident unfolded when both fighters became entangled and tumbled over the top rope and onto the ring apron. Whittaker alleged an ankle injury prevented him from continuing in the fight following the pair falling out of the ring. He was reportedly struggling after treatment and was unable to continue, leading referee Victor Loughlin to stop the match. Whittaker was subsequently seen leaving the Kingdom Arena in a wheelchair and was taken to the hospital for treatment for injuries to his right leg and a suspected neck injury.
As per the rules of the British Boxing Board of Control, the fight went to the judges’ scorecards, resulting in a split decision technical draw. The scores were 58-57 for Whittaker, 58-57 for Cameron, and 58-58, highlighting the closely contested nature of the bout before its premature end.
Cameron, who previously lost a close decision to Lyndon Arthur, refuted Whittaker’s injury claims, stating he heard Whittaker’s team tell him to feign an injury to get out of the fight and avoid a loss. Cameron maintains that Whittaker quit once he saw the fight was not going his way, with fans noting that Whittaker’s usual showboating was nowhere to be seen, and that Cameron was beginning to pick up rounds.
Besides an incident in which he broke a fan’s phone after being recorded in an airport on his return to the UK, Whittaker has been radio silent on the incident, in which he earned the nickname ‘Ben Quittaker’ from many online. He has only recently broken his silence on social media, with a clip from comedy movie Talladega Nights, in which Will Ferrell’s character is told his leg paralysis is not real and he’s pretending. The cryptic social media posts only continued, with Whittaker later posting an image of Lester Green, commonly known as ‘Beetlejuice’ on his Instagram.
The Highly Anticipated Rematch
The controversy surrounding their first encounter fueled immense anticipation for a rematch. In a recent interview, Ben Shalom confirmed that Whittaker’s next fight would be in his hometown of Wolverhampton in February or March, and of the Cameron rematch, Shalom said, ”That is the fight that is at the front of my mind. The front of his mind”. This sentiment was echoed by both fighters, with Whittaker stating, “This is an opportunity for me to give the fans a decisive result. There’s no doubt in my mind that this time, there will be no room for controversy. This time, we will finish it on my terms”. Cameron, equally eager, added, “I feel like I was winning the last fight before he tried pretending to be a WWE star and pulled me over the top rope. I really believe I would have stopped him, but that’s in the past now, we’re ready to go on April 20th”.
The rematch was officially confirmed for April 20, 2025, headlining a BOXXER event at the Resorts World Arena (bp pulse LIVE) in Birmingham, England, and broadcast live on Sky Sports. This provided Whittaker the opportunity to settle the score in front of his home fans in the Midlands.
Aftermath and Future Implications
The highly anticipated rematch between Ben Whittaker and Liam Cameron delivered a decisive, albeit still controversial, outcome. Whittaker secured a second-round technical knockout (TKO) victory over Cameron on April 20, 2025. Whittaker staggered Cameron with a looping right hand in the second round and then unleashed a flurry of shots, backing his opponent against the ropes. Referee Howard Foster then stepped in and stopped the fight. However, the stoppage was met with some criticism, with replays suggesting that many of Whittaker’s punches hit Cameron’s gloves, and Cameron himself appeared surprised by the referee’s decision.
Following the victory, Whittaker’s emotions ran high. He ran across the ring to taunt Cameron’s corner, putting his head through the ropes. While accused of spitting, Whittaker denied the allegations, stating, “If a bit of dribble came out, dribble came out. They are portraying me as a bad guy, but I work very hard. I was roaring like a lion”. His trainer, Andy Lee, defended Whittaker’s actions, attributing them to the immense pressure and “barrage of insults” Whittaker had endured since the first fight.
With this victory, Ben Whittaker improved his professional record to 9-0-1 (6 KOs). Liam Cameron’s record moved to 23-7-1 (10 KOs). Whittaker’s momentum continued to build after the rematch. In October 2025, he signed a long-term contract with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing. Just a month later, on November 29, 2025, Whittaker stopped Benjamin Gavazi in the first round in Birmingham, winning the vacant WBC Silver light-heavyweight title. He further extended his winning streak on April 18, 2026, by knocking out Braian Suarez in the first round at Liverpool Arena. Whittaker now stands at an impressive 11-0-1 (8 KOs). He is highly ranked in the light-heavyweight division, holding positions such as WBC #2, IBF #3, WBA #8, and WBO #13. His next challenge is scheduled against Richard Rivera on June 27, 2026, in Brooklyn, USA.
Liam Cameron, meanwhile, has also remained active. After the Whittaker rematch, he secured a unanimous decision victory against Troy Jones on November 1, 2025, in Manchester. However, his most recent outing on May 9, 2026, saw him suffer a fourth-round technical knockout loss to Bradley Rea in Manchester. Cameron’s current record stands at 24-8-1 (10 KOs).
The two-fight series between Whittaker and Cameron has undoubtedly shaped both their careers, with Whittaker emerging from the saga with a strengthened reputation and a clear path towards world title contention in the light-heavyweight division.
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