It is at all times eventful when Ben Whittaker takes to the stage.
On Saturday, on the Chris Billam-Smith vs Richard Riakporhe undercard at Selhurst Park, he packing containers the ‘African King’ Ezra Arenyeka, reside on Sky Sports activities.
From the start the build-up to their contest has been ill-tempered. Whittaker is a high-profile, Olympic silver medallist, whereas Arenyeka, regardless of sporting an unbeaten 12-0 (10) report, was largely unknown till he abruptly confronted Whittaker forward of his final struggle.
Maybe in opposition to his higher judgement, Whittaker determined to offer him this chance on June 15.
“Fair play, good record, he came through the doors kicking and screaming. But this is probably the only time I’ll accept something like this. Because you don’t want to keep doing this and people will keep running up for their opportunities. At the end of the day you have to work for that position,” Whittaker informed Sky Sports activities.
“It just made sense here.”
However he totally intends to show Arenyeka a lesson. “That’s what we’re trying to say – be careful what you ask for,” he mentioned. “If I’m going on the market and do what I can do, it is a assertion in itself.
“If I box the way I box, a style like that for me is tailor-made.”
He has famous Arenyeka’s obvious confidence, and reacted venomously when his opponent charged in the direction of him after that they had weighed in on Friday.
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Whittaker launched a stinging verbal assault on Arenyeka and warned Saturday’s struggle will get ‘scarier and scarier’
Whittaker warned: “I can stand there and fight if I need to. I can move and box if I need to. I can mix it. The good thing is I can do a bit of both. He can only do one thing and if he does try and box me it’ll be even worse. His game plan will be run at me and hope for the best.
“On the finish of the day this shall be like his World Cup closing so his first spherical shall be his finest spherical. However being in a scenario like this, an enormous area, massive struggle, all that performs an element and I am going to use my expertise to ensure it simply deafens him.”
The Wolverhampton fighter can mix mazy defensive motion with spiteful punching, in addition to his now well-known showboating.
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Whittaker confirmed off some dance strikes forward of sending a message to Arenyeka
Touchdown on him, Whittaker says, is “easier said than done”.
“From the outside it might look like oh I can hit him with this, hit him with that,” he continued. “[I’m] just riding the punches, you’re in range and they’re slipping past your whiskers. That’s an art in itself. There are not many people who can do that in such close range.
“[Previous opponent Khalid] Graidia truly is quick whereas this child is a bit slower so I might need loads of time to make myself a cup of tea throughout it.”
These deficiencies in Arenyeka’s boxing, Whittaker cautions, shall be punished. “I’ve definitely shown when I need to, I can whip them in and hurt them,” he mentioned.
“But my beauty is boxing IQ, my boxing skills, when you’ve got that you can walk them onto shots they don’t even see.”
Remaining remaining tickets for Billam-Smith vs Riakporhe obtainable through Boxxer.com.
Watch Chris Billam-Smith defend his WBO cruiserweight world title in opposition to Richard Riakporhe at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park, reside on Sky Sports activities on Saturday June 15; or Stream with NOW
