Boxing
Liam Cameron Aims to Make History Against Unbeaten Ben Whittaker in Saudi Showdown
Liam Cameron eyes a life-changing victory as he prepares to face unbeaten Ben Whittaker in Saudi Arabia's biggest boxing event, sharing the card with legendary fighters.
Image Credits: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing/Getty Images
Liam Cameron insists his determination to grasp a “life changing” experience will see him become the first person to conquer Ben Whittaker as he prepares to star on arguably Riyadh Season’s finest ever show.
The Sheffield light-heavyweight is preparing to face the unbeaten Olympic silver medallist in Saudi Arabia, with their bout taking place on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev’s history making October clash with Dmitry Bivol.
Cameron’s Life-Changing Opportunity
Cameron, who admitted to being “left stunned” after discovering his fight against Whittaker was taking place on the same night when Beterbiev and Bivol will vie to become the division’s undisputed champion, returned to the ring last year following a long hiatus.
He told SportsBoom.com: “If I win this one then it changes everything for me. Make no mistake about it, it will change my life.”
“I’ll be looking at houses. I’ll be in the market for one of those. Well, a nice one anyway.”
“I can’t wait to get out there and see everything the place has got to offer. There’s around 1200 people boxing in my weight class right now and every single one of them would give anything to be on this card.”
“Genuinely, I keep having to pinch myself. I’m so grateful for the opportunity and it’s one I’m going to take.”
Fighting on a Historic Stage
With Shakur Stevenson, Jay Opetaia, Chris Eubank Jnr, Fabio Wardley and Frazier Clarke all appearing on the same night, Cameron added: “The whole thing is surreal. I didn’t have a clue we’d be facing each other in Saudi until I saw my face pop up on the poster, when the whole thing was announced on TV.”
“I knew the fight was happening. But not there. I was watching the announcement on my phone, because I couldn’t get the telly working at home and Beterbiev is one of my favourite ever fighters, then suddenly my face popped up on the poster.”
“It’s going to be immense to be around boxers like this.”
“Coming through will make a real difference to my life and you can’t imagine the drive that’s giving me.”
Overcoming Setbacks to Reach the Top
Aged 33, Cameron lost a controversial decision to Lyndon Arthur in June with many observers believing the Mancunian, who boasts a victory over former world title challenger Anthony Yarde on his impressive CV, had been fortunate to prevail.
The defeat ended a run of three straight wins for the one-time Commonwealth middleweight king, who had previously announced his retirement in 2019 after unsuccessfully appealing a ban imposed following a positive drugs test. Cameron argued he had inadvertently ingested the substance - cocaine - when handling bank notes whilst organising ticket sales.
Arthur lost his IBO belt after being beaten by Bivol just before Christmas, while Yarde has previously faced Beterbiev.
“Eighty percent of the people who watched me face Lyndon thought I’d done enough to get the nod,” Cameron said.
“I thought I’d done enough too, outworking him.”
“They made all sorts of excuses afterwards - Lyndon didn’t make the weight right, Lyndon had a bad night
What they didn’t take into account was the fact I was forced to spend so long out of boxing before coming back. I’ve never made excuses.
Liam Cameron
Whittaker’s Challenge and Cameron’s Determination
Whittaker, from West Bromwich, is regarded as one of the UK’s most marketable stars following his achievement at the 2020 games in Tokyo. He has stopped five of his eight opponents since turning professional. However, Cameron (23-6) has fought opponents of a higher calibre.
“Fair play to Ben, I gather he wanted to face me because he thinks it’s going to be a good gauge for him,” Cameron said.
“But I tell you what - I’m going to be even better for this one, in even better shape, than I was for Lyndon.”
Neil has been a journalist for longer than he'd care to remember, having written for national newspapers and respected publications for over 25 years. For the last three years he has worked freelance for BBC Sport, working on the production desk as a sub-editor and also as a writer, covering a whole range of sports.