BEN WHITTAKER was almost slapped in the face by Liam Cameron’s trainer after showboating in his face.
The 27-year-old stopped his 34-year-old Sheffield rival, six months after they shared a draw after tumbling over a Saudi top rope, inside two rounds.
But instead of celebrating with his team, he raced across to Cameron’s corner and trainer Grant Smith and stuck his head through the ropes and into his face.
Smith – father and trainer to rising super-light star Dalton – was disgusted and slung an open right palm in Whittaker’s direction.
The slap didn’t land, it grazed Whittaker before he slipped back through the ropes and returned to celebrate with his team.
The British light-heavyweight pair were in the middle of an exciting and even Saudi Arabia bout when they tumbled over the top rope like a scene from professional wrestling.
Olympic 2020 silver winner Whittaker looked like he was tiring and pulled out of the fight with an ankle injury, even leaving in a wheelchair with a bare right foot.
It went to the judges who scored the bout a controversial draw and Whittaker’s harshest critics labelled him ‘Quittaker’.
The 27-year-old, nicknamed The Surgeon, dissected the poor performance and switched trainers before agreeing to the rematch.
And he needed less than six minutes to smash the 34-year-old Sheffield man with a right hand and unleash a barrage the ref dived in to stop.
The pair swapped early encouraging jabs but then Whittaker took control and pinged off a range of punches off the back foot.
Cameron caught almost all of them on his tight and high guard but then, close to the bell, they exchanged almost identical right hands.
Cameron was a glutton for punishment again in the second – hoping Whittaker would tire – and his nose started dripping blood after one stiff jab too many.
And then Whittaker landed a rivalry-ending shot that robbed Cameron of his senses and spelled the end of the fight.
