The stakes are high for Ben Whittaker as he goes into his rematch with Liam Cameron on Sunday April 20, live on Sky Sports.
They unexpectedly drew their first fight after tumbling out of the ring and having to go to a technical decision.
Speculation has run rampant since, about whether Whittaker could or should have continued (an injury prevented him from fighting on) and on whether Cameron was on course to actually winning that fight.
Whittaker needs to bring Sunday’s fight to an definitive conclusion, says former world title challenger Matt Macklin.
Sky Sports boxing expert Macklin believes Whittaker cannot afford to lose this.
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Whittaker says he will pass the microphone to Cameron once he wins their fight. The Gloves Are Off is available to watch now in full
“It’s very difficult to see [a way back if he does lose]. Even if there is, I don’t think there will be a way back to where we believed he is going to go,” Macklin explained.
“The trajectory he was on prior to the fight, people thought he was going to be a star who not only would be a world champion but would probably be a unified world champion and a huge pay-per-view star.
“If you were doing a business plan, that is where you would aim for him, to hit those heights.
“His profile and star has moved along the right lines, but his development as a fighter probably hasn’t yet. That is not because he doesn’t have the ability or the potential isn’t there, it’s because he hasn’t had the meaningful fights to take him there.
“This is a meaningful fight, the last one was a meaningful fight, and he nearly came a cropper. This time he has to deliver.”
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Whittaker jokingly threatened Cameron with an egg during ‘Gloves Are Off’ – but you’ll have to tune in to see if the two shook hands!
The first fight took place on an undercard in Riyadh. On Sunday Whittaker will be headlining in front of his home fans in Birmingham.
But local man Macklin, no stranger to big fights in his hometown, believes the scale of the occasion won’t disrupt the Olympic silver medallist.
“I think Whittaker will handle it well. He’s been on big stages before, certainly as an amateur, boxing in the Olympic final,” Macklin said.
“I know amateur versus professional is different, but he’s been in high-pressure situations before where a lot has been on the line. I think he will rise to the challenge and use the pressure to bring the best out of himself.”
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Whittaker says he is ‘counting down the weeks’ to his second fight against Cameron, ready to show him what he can do
He cautioned that when fighting in your hometown: “You have to be mindful to stay focused and not get distracted because there are more people around and everyone wants a bit of you. You’ve got to be careful you don’t lose focus, that might be something he’s got to watch out for.”
But Macklin added: “Whether he wins or loses won’t come down to the pressure of fighting in Birmingham, it will be whether he is good enough or not.”
Watch Whittaker vs Cameron 2 on Sunday April 20 live on Sky Sports
