RASH, brazen and bombastic Brummie Ben Whittaker will once again bring his stomach-churning exhibition antics to the ring with him on Saturday.
The Tokyo Olympic silver medalist is expected to show off his provocative talent when he takes on Nigeria’s Ezra Arenyeka at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park ground.
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Whittaker, with just seven unbeaten fights at light heavyweight, has recently been the subject of more discussion than a TV general election debate.
He divides opinion between ringside fans and Sky viewers, who either strongly oppose his eccentric behavior or praise him for his entertainment value.
When Ben turned pro two years ago, he decided there was a way to make an instant impact.
He decided to cause controversy inside the ring by indulging in the kind of outrageously extravagant moves one would normally expect to see on Strictly Come Dancing.
Shamelessly, he swings, shakes, cartwheels, does 360-degree spins, hops on one leg, and condescendingly pats his opponents on the head while striking them with both hands.
Showboating is not exactly a new phenomenon. I watched Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Chris Eubank, Naseem Hamed and other masters of the art of spectacle.
But there is a big difference between what Ali and company did and Whittaker’s behavior.
They were showing off their sophisticated footwork in front of elite fighters amid the heat of world championship battles.
While Ben is outwitting his fellow professionals who have limited skills – and have been hand-picked so he can have fun.
For me it is a form of bullying.
Boxing is dangerous and often brutal, but there is a defined unwritten code that falls into the category of ungentlemanly conduct.
It is generally accepted that under no circumstances should inferior opponents be ridiculed or humiliated.
Whittaker, 27, has been heavily criticized for doing just that, but he vehemently denies that he is disrespecting the opposition.
He claims he is simply giving the audience what they want to see – and that is showbiz with blood.
His promoter Ben Shalom certainly won’t hold back on his antics and brags that his aspiring superstar has a million followers on Instagram and puts bums in seats.
Arenyeka has won all 12 of his fights – most against unknowns in Lagos – and it is doubtful he is much of a threat to the latest British talk.
However, he summed up what many genuine fight fans feel about Whittaker when he said: “Most boxers don’t appreciate the way he does things in the ring.
“He’s acting like a little diva – a child.”
Ben achieved what he set out to do – become famous extremely quickly.
Now it’s time for referees to curb their nauseating excesses and take away points when necessary.
Whittaker has been compared to Marmite – which means you either love him or hate him. Turns out I hate Marmite!
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
