Ben Whittaker was overcome with emotion after his rematch with Liam Cameron on Sunday night time.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist stopped Cameron within the second spherical on the BP Pulse Reside Area in Birmingham in entrance of a hostile dwelling crowd.
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Whittaker had turn into public enemy primary within the instant aftermath of his controversial inaugural encounter with Cameron and was met with a cacophony of boos as he made his strategy to the ring.
‘The Surgeon’ was branded a ‘quitter’ by a number of members of the boxing fraternity after he withdrew from his first battle with Cameron following a tumble excessive rope within the fifth spherical final October.
Within the days that adopted, Whittaker obtained a wave of on-line abuse and even had shut pals flip their backs on him when he wanted them most.
Opening up on his difficult final six months, Whittaker burst into tears at his post-fight press convention.
“In truth, nothing has modified if I am sincere, I knew I ought to be doing that to folks like Liam Cameron, no disrespect, nevertheless it was the six months out,” mentioned Whittaker as he choked up and started to cry.
“Stuff like my brother had two daughters, I couldn’t actually take pleasure in it an excessive amount of due to what I used to be going by means of on-line.
“And it did not actually trouble me, however even shut pals, those who I classed as household, left me.
“That they had loads to say about me, nevertheless it was a good time to return to the outdated Ben Whittaker.”
After his first battle with Cameron, Whittaker realised that change was wanted, and so he left his coach and godfather Joby Clayton to work with Andy Lee on the Ballybrack Boxing Membership in Dublin.
It proved to be the fitting resolution, as Whittaker proceeded to placed on a punch excellent show en path to stopping Cameron towards the ropes with a vicious flurry.
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“Earlier than the Olympics, I locked in, I educated exhausting and I devoted the game,” Whittaker continued.
“My life was shifting at 100 miles per hour. Like I say, I come from a humble family the place not a whole lot of stuff was given to us, so to be within the place the place every little thing is coming at me at free will, it was superb.
“However that six months out actually humbled me, received me nearer to God, and the small folks round me are simply what I wanted.
“I went to the gymnasium each day, took away the cameras, took away the social media and simply received again to the outdated Ben.
“I wish to thank my church as properly, Dwelling Hope, as a result of I went by means of that door very quietly and stored myself to myself, and so they introduced the outdated Ben out of me.
“I received a textual content from Andy Lee. Lots of people had been laughing behind my again, however he got here to me and mentioned, ‘Come to Eire, and I really imagine we are able to get the outdated Ben Whittaker again’.
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“We educated exhausting, and after a few days he mentioned ‘You are going to knock him out’.
“And I simply believed in him, he believed in me, and I went on the market and did what I used to be alleged to do in Saudi.”
Whereas Whittaker’s efficiency can have silenced some reservations about his promise within the sport, his post-fight outburst will not have received him again too many followers.
After referee Howard Foster stepped in and waved off the battle, Whittaker made his manner over to Cameron’s nook, poked his head by means of the ropes and celebrated of their faces.
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