A highly anticipated light-heavyweight bout between Ben Whittaker and Liam Cameron ended in a strange and dramatic split-decision draw after both fighters fell out of the ring in the fifth round. The bout, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, saw the two boxers tumble over the ropes in a bizarre accident, leaving Whittaker injured and unable to continue.
Whittaker, an Olympic silver medalist, had been backed onto the ropes by Cameron when the two locked arms and fell over, crashing onto the ring apron. Whittaker was immediately in visible pain, suffering an ankle injury, and was later wheeled out of the arena for further medical evaluation.
With the fight halted, the outcome was left to the scorecards. One judge scored it 58-57 for Whittaker, another 58-57 for Cameron, and a third judge had it even at 58-58, resulting in a split-decision draw. Cameron, visibly upset with the decision, felt he had done enough to win the fight. “I definitely beat him. What more do I have to do?” Cameron said after the fight.
Whittaker started the fight strongly, using quick jabs and body shots to control the early rounds. However, Cameron adjusted in the second round, landing hard shots and countering effectively. The bout turned into a gritty, back-and-forth contest, with both fighters landing heavy blows before the fifth-round incident that led to the stoppage.
The strange conclusion left fans and fighters unsatisfied, with both likely hoping for a rematch to settle the score.
Earlier in the night, local fighter Mohammed Alakel made a strong professional debut, winning a unanimous decision over Jesus Gonzalez in a four-round bout. Alakel, trained by British coach Joe Gallagher, was dominant throughout, with all three judges scoring the fight 40-36 in his favor.
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