Ben Whittaker welcomes fight against Chris Eubank Jr 👀

hello and welcome to our weekly boxing chat on Sky Sports News I'm Andy Scott and this week I'm joined by Barry Jones and one of the biggest rising stars in all of boxing eight professional bouts eight wins five coming inside the distance it is the surgeon Ben whiter great to see you how are you doing all good thanks thanks for having me now it's uh it's not a fluke that we got you down this week because finally you have fight news uh it's out there now October 12th against Liam Cameron on the undercard of arur better beev and Dimitri bivol um presumably over the moon uh it's not been a long time coming but everybody's been asking you what's next when is next and now you can uh confirm it exactly for me it's just another fight another opponent and another day U venue but uh the magnitude of the place the the platform it's only right I get myself on there really and Liam Cameron what can you tell us uh about him um how did the conversation go in terms of opponents that were put to you and and and why Liam he was a top of the list um he's fought some good opponents won things previously I said yeah let me show how good I am and he's the person to show a good I am is that fair enough to say that he is your toughest test today in your career of course yeah uh as a yet is the toughest opponent on paper but we'll show I'm a level above I'm going to bring in Barry Jones because I think boxing fans will know Liam won't necessarily know his full story but in terms of pedigree was a very good amateur uh had five years out of the sport but um you did his last fight working for our colleagues at Channel 5 when he he got a split decision loss to Lindon Arthur so that's good pedigree and against good quality what sort of problems could Liam potentially pose what will Liam bring to the table more than anything I think mental strength I think more than anything else he's technically very good Liam and and he's physically strong and he and he's committed to his to his task but his mental strength he won't feel sorry for himself when Ben makes him Miss which he inevitably will that's his ability but he will keep coming he will keep coming so all the questions that people ask or or want answered about you know what's what's going to be like when he comes against a live opponent well they'll find out because this is a live opponent this is a step up in class but also more importantly than that not just a step up in class this is a a guy who's you know you got something to gauge him off he's been beating by Lindon Arthur in a close fight but no the right winner but he could have count himself if you can do a better job than that then you start comparing him to fighters who are just above him in the rankings and then we talk about making those moves that we're all saying no where Ben should end up where he should be well we we'll have a gauge now where we think he where he is now and the the root to success or the timeline to where he can get to where he can get to the very top you've boxed out in Saudi Arabia before uh so is a little bit of like returning to the scene of the crime because you're pretty upset last time that was the SC the scene where you got quite bad injuries the one that kept you out for so long uh you weren't overly happy with your performance even though those of us that are emotionally separ ated from it actually gave you quite good marks out of 10 for it so going back there and being on a a bill like this with top of the bill unification fight or Undisputed fight I should say in your division it is going to be a chance to Showcase your skills to a different audience of course I call it a return of the Mac now I'm going there to write the wrongs and I'm excited uh of course there's going to be different fights but tune in and watch and see me and I'll Ste a show let me ask you about uh some of the rest of the card and I'm going to come to this name first because it was only a couple of weeks ago that Chris Eubank Jr sat in that seat there and uh it was put to him you know what about Ben Whitaker and I think he described it as a sexy fight um you know do you agree first off I mean I know we're headline right as aren't we it's it's probably not practical at the moment with weights but can we get the phrase Never Say Never out of you is that fair enough of course Never Say Never he clust as a sexy file saying more Beauty and the Beast but uh yeah of course uh you Never Say Never it's a good fantasy fight he's got a great name and who knows I would be up what's the drawback the weight he you know he would have to come up from middleweight super middleweight at best to meet you at light heavyweight fair to say that frame that you're carrying you can't squeeze below 175 is not really practical exactly I say it's it would be a one-off fight and um it would have to be a catch we of some sort hopefully super middle but if he's game I'm game tell turkey to set it up man I'm all right with that okay so turkey Al sh good to add to your list of things that people were asking you to make you got to make that Chris Eubank Junior's facing Carol camel Sara probably best known Barry for the mongia fight the the Triple G fight um it is being classed as a comeback fight we're all we're in fantasy land at the moment aren't we that fight is not on the table at the moment Ben whitker and chrank Jr no I can't I can't see it happening I just think where their careers are right now and what he's looking for and and also the weight's the biggest Factor know Chris Eubanks too small but money in this sport know is is the is it a bigger driver than anything else so he' be in a sweatsuit for 6 months and and Chris have eating some piie or some you never you never never know listen fantasy fights are not fantasy fights anymore we're seeing them happen so you just never know but I think you know it's just important for Bend to Concentra on his own career his own path and um there's titles in the like heav with division for him to take yeah that's right I mean um your last appearance can we talk about that uh we we speak about it um in very candid terms on the podcast which is available later today Ezra aronica it's fair to say you were a level above Ezra you showed us every punch in the book your your own uh harshest critic what could you have done more and and could you have stopped him no disrespect to Ezra at all but I think that's probably the criticism be leveled at you there of course I could have stopped him uh there was many rounds I could have stopped him but um going back a win comfortable win and a title can't really complain but me being the perfectionist that I am there's so many times I could have just put my foot on the gas and hit him with a perfect punch and knocked him out but that's what these fights are for and uh it's all part of the journey the showboating is never going to leave you I'm not even sure we I think we should call it showboating but it's part of your you know it's part of your attack now um he he wasn't too enamored was he and you you got a little bit of a repost uh which is new for you which was the headbutt and the elbow I kind of liked it shows that I'm tough you know I walked him back to the corner there I said after asked if he was okay and then I get a little ND but at the end of the day it's all fun in games we didn't mean nothing about it and we shook hands after but I ate quite well but this one big elbow there it's like a wwec that was but uh it shows I can take it I'm tough as nails and when I really need to uh you can just get through it and is this the point in the fight where you were stepping on it but you perhaps could have stepped on it a little bit more he was of course yeah that right there it shook him to his boots and he he was running off but as you can on the timer was 15 seconds I didn't really want to rush it and things like that but all should have would have cut us but we won we got the job done got the title and hopefully if that opportunity comes in Saudi you'll see me put their show to an end it's good Barry in a number of ways sorry to talk about Ben like you're not here but it's good that Ben Whitaker is uh alert enough that you can watch that and realize I should have put my foot on the floor there and I will have to do in better quality of opponent I suppose that's my question to you as he steps up if the opportunity is there to take a man out should that opportunity be taken yeah and I think you talking about you know Cameron talking about Lind Arthur he Coast some fights and and and and has hard nights because of that and I think that's just the difference here for learning not not to Coast fights when things are comfortable you you have the ability to make things comfortable all the time just know but it's also you know you put the pressure on you can get caught his style is his style so he has to box Express himself way he feels the best and most comfortable but still taking that step up I think you know putting more pressure on opponent into times when when you're able to you know just to keep them under the cost I think that's very important you give a fighter an opportunity to get back into the fight then that could that could be the UND doing and you know that you've been a world class amateur but the fact that you know these are learning fights and you are you know taking the positives and the negatives as well and working on those that shows you maturing as as an athlete these all these are all good signs and I think this next fight now against D Camerons is a really hard fight but the perfect fight and the perfect step up for him yep amen if we move on to other fights on the card uh big Clark was in here last week um felt his presence uh but happy to say that he is rematching Fabio wardley I think i' speak for most boxing fans Not Just CU we're Sky Sports we did the first fight and you want to see it again blah blah blah it's a great fight when we have a great fight we get selfish as fans you want to see it again um how happy are you been as a as a fight fan that we get to see more of this I mean I'm not sure these two delighted to be doing it again but us as fans yeah as a fight fan I'm I'm very excited and not only that as a teamate of phrases and I know how much he wants to write that wrong it was a draw you could have maybe nicked it but when it's a firee DAT for fans you just can't get better than that and hopefully it's like that from the first round you know I mean me and Barry will be watching it with some popcorn all through your fingers let me ask you what corner would you rather be in going into round 13 if we call it that whose shoes would you rather be in I think Clarks no I think the last time I always thought I fancy fabul to win the first fight I got to be I hold my hands up I thought he tried and tested in a war and and we hadn't seen Clark in it but I think Clark answered just cuz he's technically better keeps his shape better and I think in fights like this that can be the difference I thought he just nicked it the first time but it's arguably you can argue the draw or or either way it was such a close fight but do you watching it like that they're they're absolutely exhausted it's incredible really L you punch until there's no there's no breath left in your lungs and that's what you want from an athlete that's what you want from a great heavyweight fight and whatever they getting pay is not enough if it's anything like that first fight that was a war of Wars I almost never went I I would have been I I was ringside it was just a pleasure to watch and I've seen some of the best haway fights in the last sort of 20 30 years and that's right up there with all of them it was just a great fight and if the second was half as good we're in for a treat yeah although you would have watched world class coverage live on Sky Sports had you stayed at home uh Raven Chapman and Sky Nicholson are on that card as well we talk about that in the podcast but I just want to touch on Joe Cordina so he split with Tony Sims and L up with uh Barry Smith and the Ben Davidson performance center uh takes on Shakur Stevenson at lightweight you know both men really but um I'm intruded what you make of Shakur Stevenson I'll come to Barry for Joe but what do you make of Shakur yeah I know both guys but uh for me stylistically I really like Shakur stevensson um as a boxing purist he does everything right stands in the pocket when he needs to makes the small adjustments when he needs to counters distance he's got everything as a fighter for me and um I like what he does uh he might get criticized that he might be not the best pleasing to watch but as a boxing fan I love it and uh for what he's done in the sport Olympic medalist numerous time world champion he's on a great trajectory I think Barry you take your hat off to Joe Cordina the weight will obviously help him because I think we were all familiar with his struggles at the weight below um is there I don't want to be too disrespectful in what ways could he upset Shakur Stevenson it's still very life fight for him but it's it's it's widely accepted that he is a huge Underdog no he is because he's up against a guy for the first time in his career he's not the most skillful boxer in the ring Joe ctin he's never experienced that he's so great to watch but he's he's a mature fighter now Joe tough season now all of a sudden I think he needs to put pressure on Shakur make him work hard when when Shakur looking for space to show his skill you suffocate that space and make him work hard you make him work when you want to work it's extremely difficult to do but I think that's the only route for him to win and for saying usually with Joe it's all about using your skill using your footwork using your ability but in this fight it might be more Brawn than brain for Joe Cordina those of you that are on active on social media you will have seen turkey ala Shake say today that they have requested uh to extend the capacity of Wembley Stadium hoping to set a record for the largest attendance uh for boxing so the record at the moment I think is 94,000 for Fury uh Tian Fury against dillian White around the corner now is antie Joshua against Daniel du who do you fancy in that fight we know in the podcast there's some great stories about rooming with Daniel du I won't spoil the podcast so you know you got a foot in both camps oh yeah uh I was actually managed by AJ rued with deis so I do really like both guys but for me it's yui experience and I'm really excited to see it just like Fraser wardley two big heavy ways going at it there's nothing more exciting now Liam Gallagher is actually performing before the main event under the Wembley March um I would advise people if there's more tickets going on sale today chances are that's the only place you're going to get tickets cuz everybody wants tickets for this Oasis reunion but we have been in the archive and had a look at uh the Gallagher brothers love affair with boxing so this was uh the fat man this is when Ricky haton had the fat suit against paie malagi and you can see in the background there both Liam and N this is before the fight as well I mean the essence of Cole I don't think Barry orai could pull this off this was post fight uh Ben you you might be able to pull off this level of call uh this is probably one of the last times they were actually together because no's love affair with boxing continued and he made his way to ringside against Khaled gradio where you did the business the surgeon the there he is did he have a notd of approval no of course he did look at that are you going to get some tickets Ben I I don't think it's your scene although I don't want to put you in a box uh well you know it looks like me and all are good friends now so if he's there I'll be there there you go well thank you so much for coming on today don't forget you can watch uh Joshua du live on Sky Sports box office on September 21st uh just before we go uh we have some live boxing for you next Tuesday that's September 3rd pound-for-pound icon NAA in New Way defend his Undisputed super banter weight title against TJ deini in Tokyo um that's uh all coming up we're looking forward to that that is all we've got time for so thank you very much Ben and Barry and make sure you join us next week uh for more boxing action and remember download the toe to to podcast wherever you get your podcast from