Ben Whittaker's ‘career is on the line' in Liam Cameron rematch, Matthew Macklin warns
Ben Whittaker goes head to head with Liam Cameron (Getty Images)
Ex-fighter and pundit Matthew Macklin believes that Ben Whittaker is now at a pivotal stage in his career, ahead of his rematch with Liam Cameron on 20 April.
The first time the pair went toe-to-toe ended with Whittaker being wheeled out of the arena in Riyadh, after sustaining injuries when both fighters crashed over the top rope and out of the ring in the fifth round. The Olympic silver medalist could not continue and the fight was scored a technical draw.
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Cameron, who entered the fight as a substantial underdog, has since accused Whittaker of 'looking for a way out' back in October.
Whittaker has now been warned by Macklin that his 'career is on the line' this weekend when he rematches Cameron at the BP Pulse Live arena in Birmingham.
The ex-fighter told Sky Sports Boxing: 'The stakes are very high for Ben Whittaker, I think a lot of people would say his career is on the line here. Certainly in terms of where his trajectory was when he turned over, people thought he was destined to become a world champion.
'If he can't get past Liam Cameron then I think people will certainly look to revise that opinion.
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'It ended in bizarre circumstances, a bit of a freak incident, obviously he couldn't continue then with what I think was the back injury.
'Whatever it was, the fight wasn't going his way. He was starting to unravel and Cameron was on top.'
Ben Whittaker rematches Liam Cameron after a controversial first fight (Getty Images)
Ahead of the fight on Easter Sunday, Macklin reiterated how important this rematch will be for the 27-year-old: 'He needs a much better performance in the rematch, a lot better. I mean night and day levels of performance, he's got to turn up a completely different Ben Whittaker if he's going to get the win over Cameron on Sunday.'
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Spartan Stadium (Michigan State) Capacity: 75,005 Opened: 1923 (Oct. 6) Spartan Stadium edged Nebraska and Illinois' Memorial Stadiums by just a few weeks. The venue was one of the toughest places to play in the Big Ten for several years during the Mark Dantonio era. Spartan fans hope that Jonathan Smith is close to bringing the program back to that level. Get more (Michigan State) news, analysis, and opinions on Spartans Wire 5. L.A Memorial Coliseum (USC) Capacity: 77,500 Opened: 1923 (May 1) While the L.A. Memorial Coliseum technically opened on May 1, 1923, it did not host a game until Oct. 6 of that year. In addition to USC football, it has hosted two Summer Olympics (1932 and 1984 -- plus another upcoming in 2028), the Los Angeles Rams (1946-79, 2016-19), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1958-61), a Super Bowl (I) and more. It is by far the conference's most historic venue. Get more (USC) news, analysis, and opinions on Trojans Wire 4. Rose Bowl Stadium (UCLA) Capacity: 89,702 Opened: 1922 (October 28) When only college football is considered, the Rose Bowl's history is second-to-none. It hosted four BCS National Championship Games (2001, 2005, 2009 and 2013 seasons), four CFP semifinals (2014, 2017, 2020 and 2023 seasons and one quarterfinal (2024 season). In addition, it also hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup final, which Brazil won over Italy in penalty kicks. Get more (UCLA) news, analysis, and opinions on UCLA Wire 3. Ohio Stadium (Ohio State) Capacity: 102,780 Opened: 1922 (October 7) Ohio Stadium is synonymous with Big Ten football. Part of that is the strength of the Buckeyes' program, which has won nine national titles (1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002, 2014 and 2024). Another is the venue's history, which is older than just two in the Big Ten. Get more (Ohio State) news, analysis, and opinions on Buckeyes Wire 2. Husky Stadium (Washington) Capacity: 70,138 Opened: 1920 This inclusion is a bit surprising, given Washington's recent move to the conference. Husky Stadium is known as one of the most beautiful venues in the sport. It is not synonymous with the other 100-year-old-plus stadiums in the conference. But the numbers don't lie. Get more (Washington) news, analysis, and opinions on Huskies Wire 1. Camp Randall Stadium (Wisconsin) Capacity: 80,321 Opened: 1917 Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium claims the crown as the oldest venue in the Big Ten. The name comes from the history of the ground on which it stands, which was a Union Army training camp during the Civil War. Of course, its 'Jump Around' tradition has become one of the sport's best. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
