Ben Whittaker stops Liam Cameron early in British grudge match amid further controversy

Ben Whittaker celebrates winning the IBF International Light Heavyweight Championship fight against Liam Cameron

The ending to Ben Whittaker vs. Liam Cameron 2 was just as controversial as the first fight.

With 80 seconds to go in Round 2 of their second meeting, Whittaker slipped Cameron’s slow jab and countered with a right hand that rocked Cameron to his boots at the BP Pulse LIVE arena on Sunday afternoon in Birmingham, England.

Whittaker (9-0-1, 6 KOs) followed up with a barrage of punches, which were mostly blocked by Cameron, but Cameron (23-7-1, 10 KOs) fell onto the third ring rope from a Whittaker right hand that partially landed on the top of the head. The referee waved off the contest following Whittaker’s flurry with just over one minute to go in the round.

With very few clean, impactful punches connecting after the initial success, the stoppage has been the subject of heavy debate on social media. There’s also an argument that Whittaker should’ve been credited with a knockdown after Cameron was saved by the ropes at the end of Whittaker’s storm of punches, and therefore Cameron would’ve had the benefit of a 10-second count, which could’ve given him the chance to recover.

After Whittaker’s stoppage victory, he darted over to the other side of the ring and stuck his head out of the ropes to celebrate in the face of Grant Smith, Cameron’s trainer. Smith, who is also the father and trainer of fast-rising super lightweight contender Dalton Smith, was far from pleased with the lack of respect and class from Whittaker and attempted to slap him.

Despite fighting not far from his hometown, Whittaker received a mixed reception from the crowd during his ring walk and when he was announced into the ring. The crowd booed when the decision was read out and during Whittaker’s post-fight interview.

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Whittaker and Cameron rematched Sunday after the controversial ending to their first encounter this past October. They previously fought on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 1 undercard, with the bout ending in dramatic fashion when both men toppled over the ropes and outside the ring during the fifth round. As a result of the fall, Whittaker was unable to continue and the bout was halted.

Since four rounds had been completed, the fight went to a technical decision. One judge favored Whittaker by a point, another scored it for Cameron by the same margin, and the third judge had it even, resulting in a split draw.

Elsewhere on Sunday’s card, Frazer Clarke and Tyler Denny returned to winning ways after experiencing devastating losses this past year. Clarke (9-1-1, 7 KOs) halted Ebenezer Tetteh (23-3, 20 KOs) in the opening round, while Denny (20-3-3, 1 KO) recorded a points win over Elvis Ahorgah (13-4, 12 KOs).

Catch complete Whittaker vs. Cameron 2 results and highlights below, as well as Uncrowned’s play-by-play of the main card.

Main Card

Light heavyweight: Ben Whittaker def. Liam Cameron via second-round TKO | Watch video

Super welterweight: Sam Eggington def. Lee Cutler via technical unanimous decision (87-85, 90-83, 87-75)

Heavyweight: Frazer Clarke def. Ebenezer Tetteh via first-round TKO | Watch video

Middleweight: Tyler Denny def. Elvis Ahorgah via points (97-92)

Prelims

Welterweight: Elliot Whale def. Lucas Ballingall via points (79-74)

Whittaker goads Liam Cameron’s trainer, Grant Smith, after stoppage win

Ben Whittaker spitting on Liam Cameron’s coach Grant Smith 🤦‍♂️

— Fred Beck (@fredpdbeck) April 20, 2025

Controversy over the stoppage


Darshan Desai

Ben Whittaker’s 2nd-round TKO win over Liam Cameron

Ben Whittaker vs. Liam Cameron – Round 2

Whittaker is varying his left hand early in round two. Cameron is blocking most of it, but Whittaker is the only one throwing.

Cameron is just following Whittaker around the ring, and there’s some blood coming from his nose. Whittaker attempts a light combination but is made to miss with every punch. Back comes Cameron with a right hand. Right hand from Whittaker and Cameron was ROCKED THERE! Whittaker follows up with a flurry, Cameron is on the ropes and unsteady on his legs, and this one is over!

Ben Whittaker TKO-2

Ben Whittaker vs. Liam Cameron – Round 1

It’s time for the rematch! It’s a lively crowd at the BP Pulse LIVE arena for Whittaker vs. Cameron 2. Liam Cameron got a mixed reaction when his name was announced in his opponent’s backyard. Whittaker had some fans booing him into the ring.

Cameron begins proceedings with a jab that connects. Whittaker comes out with his lead hand down, while Cameron will be the pressure fighter, looking to close the distance and make things hard for Whittaker up close.

Right hand downstairs goes Whittaker at the end of the first minute. Whittaker is snapping out sharp shots with no power behind them in round one. Cameron has a different approach, trying to land big shots early. Cameron doubles up with a left hand and follows it up with a right cross. Back comes Whittaker with his own right hand.

10-9 Whittaker

Ben Whittaker’s ring walk


Darshan Desai

Liam Cameron’s ring walk

Ben Whittaker in the best shape of his life for the most important fight of his career

Main event next: Ben Whittaker vs. Liam Cameron 2

Light heavyweights Ben Whittaker and Liam Cameron renew hostilities in front of a packed BP Pulse LIVE arena in Birmingham on a big night for British boxing.

Whittaker (8-0-1, 5 KOs) and Cameron (23-6-1, 10 KOs) previously fought on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol undercard last October. Their bout ended in dramatic fashion when both men toppled over the ropes and outside the ring during the fifth round. As a result of the fall, Whittaker was unable to continue, and the bout was halted.

Since four rounds had been completed, the fight went to a technical decision. One judge favored Whittaker by a point, the other scored it to Cameron by the same margin, and a third judge had it even, resulting in a split-decision draw.

Now, under the guidance of new trainer Andy Lee, 2020 Olympic silver medalist Whittaker looks to prove his potential.

OFFICIAL RESULT: Eggington beats Cutler via TD

Sam Eggington defeats Lee Cutler by a technical unanimous

Sam Eggington vs. Lee Cutler stopped at the beginning of round 9

Sam Eggington is urged to get to work in the corner by long-time trainer Jon Pegg. This fight is very close, and both teams know it!

The doctor is being brought in at the beginning of round 9, and this one is called off! We are headed to a technical decision. Uncrowned had it 86-86 after eight completed rounds because the bell rang for round 9, we have to score round 9, despite no boxing happening in that round.

Sam Eggington vs. Lee Cutler – Round 8

Clean punches connecting for Cutler to end the first minute. A right hand got through twenty seconds into the second minute. Cutler seems to be fresher of the two at this point in the contest and has the edge in power. Into the final minute, right hand for Cutler, but some inside work from Eggington in response. Cutler being caught by the Egginton left hand at punching range. Cutler gets under an Eggington combination in the final 10 seconds of the eighth.

10-9 Cutler, 76-76 Cutler

Sam Eggington vs. Lee Cutler – Round 7

Right hand from Eggington clipped Cutler coming in, followed by a double jab. Slower round in the seventh, not as much trading on the inside. Cutler is still finding himself at the end of Eggington’s jab. Right hand to the body from Cutler, Egginton firing the left hand, but Cutler responds with a right hand counter. Body shot sinked in from Cutler to end the seventh.

10-9 Cutler, 67-66 Eggington

Fans and journalist scorecards through 5 rounds

Uncrowned has it 49-46 Eggington; the Sky Sports viewers’ verdict has it 49-47 Eggington.

Sam Eggington vs. Lee Cutler – Round 5

Right hand for Eggington caught Cutler, who had his left hand down — as he does — at punching range.

Eggington pinging the left jab on Cutler’s head, Cutler’s defense has been the poorer of the two. Combo on the inside dished out by Eggington, not all of it landed clean. Eggington swung in an overhand right as the pair were exchanging. Cutler was caught by that shot but responded with a couple of his own.

10-9 Eggington, 49-46 Eggington

Sam Eggington vs. Lee Cutler – Round 4

Eggington and Cutler exchange shots on the inside to open round four, with nothing clean landing for either man. Cutler fires in a body shot. Left hook from Cutler partially connects on Eggington’s chin, followed by a bodyshot. Cutler is landing the harder punches on the inside in the fourth round. Cutler is pressuring Eggington and attempting to assert his position as the stronger man. Into the final minute, and a right hand for Cutler chopped down on Eggington. Eggington with a short right hand catching Cutler coming in. This has been a physically tiring round for both men.

10-9 Cutler, 39-37 Eggington

Sam Eggington vs. Lee Cutler – Round 3

Left hook on the inside for Eggington pushed Cutler’s head back. Eggington darts out the left hand on Cutler’s chin. Body shot goes Cutler. Hard right hand from Eggington and Cutler walked into that one. More trading in this round, Eggington having some success with short right hands, and now with some lefts. Uppercut and a hook for Eggington, another uppercut lifted Cutler’s head up. It’s been the most one-sided of the three rounds so far.

10-9 Eggington, 30-27 Eggington

Sam Eggington vs. Lee Cutler – Round 2

Right hand from Egginton was the best of an exchange as Cutler tried a left hook. Eggington is finding a home for his shots on the inside as the pair trade. An uppercut ripped the guard for Eggington.

Blood is coming out of the left eye of Eggington, it might’ve been a clash of heads.

Left hook connected for Cutler on the inside. Egginton partially connects with some straight punches at long range against the shorter Cutler.

10-9 Eggington, 20-18 Eggington

Sam Eggington vs. Lee Cutler – Round 1

We are underway for tonight’s chief support. This is the contest that many are picking to be the Fight of the Night, as neither man does anything but exciting wars.

The left hook from Eggington breaks Cutler’s guard, and that’s the first significant punch of the fight. Eggington is shooting his left hand at Cutler’s head and torso. Cutler eats a left hand and fails to get off a right-hand counter.

Left hook from Cutler catches Eggington up close. Cutler spins off at an angle afterward. Left hook downstairs from Cutler countered by an Eggington left hand upstairs.

Left hand for Eggington pushes Cutler back to end the opener.

10-9 Eggington

Last time out for Lee Cutler:

Former WBO super welterweight world champion Jaime Munguia reportedly fails VADA drug test

Mexico’s Jaime Munguia (R) works against France’s Bruno Surace during their super middleweight fight on May 4, 2025. (Fayez Nureldine/Getty)
(FAYEZ NURELDINE via Getty Images)

Jaime Munguia has reportedly tested positive for a banned substance following his rematch victory over Bruno Surace.

Munguia, the former WBO super welterweight world champion, returned an adverse analytical finding for an exogenous origin of testosterone metabolites in a urine sample taken by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association around Munguia’s fight with Surace on May 4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, according to Ring Magazine.

Munguia will likely face a suspension from the British Boxing Board of Control, under whose jurisdiction the bout took place, unless his B sample tests negative. The Mexican boxer has 10 days to request analysis of his B sample.

Additionally, Munguia’s 12-round unanimous decision win over Surace will likely be overturned to a no-contest.

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Surace was a frontrunner for Upset of the Year and Knockout of the Year when he brutally dispatched Munguia in the sixth round of their first fight last December. Munguia, a -2500 favorite, was seemingly miles in front on the scorecards but walked into a counter right hand from Surace in the final minute of the sixth and ultimately failed to beat the 10 count.

For the rematch, Munguia teamed up with renowned boxing trainer Eddy Reynoso. Reynoso is best known for being the longtime coach of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who defeated Munguia in May 2024.

Munguia boxed a disciplined fight to take a comfortable unanimous decision over Surace in their second meeting, which was the co-feature to Alvarez’s undisputed title win over William Scull. Instead of being wild and reckless, as he had been in previous fights, Munguia was patient behind his heavy jab and worked on creating openings to Surace’s midsection.

‘It didn’t break me:’ How Caleb Plant turned a life of immense hardship into ‘a badge of honor’

LAS VEGAS — It’s the early 2000s and Caleb Plant is just a boy. He gets food from social services and witnesses foreclosure papers from a young age. He frequently moves from trailer to trailer, never knowing stability. He saves up money from school, “a dollar here and there,” so he can get himself and his sister, Madeline, something that will provide greater sustenance than the canned goods donated to the Bethesda Center in Ashland City, Tennessee.

He is only 9 years old, and he’s already seen hardship that other kids with PlayStations and Xbox consoles won’t be able to relate to. “There are some families that are more middle class, some who are below middle class … and we were below that,” Plant tells Uncrowned ahead of his return to the ring.

On Saturday, Plant fights Jose Armando Resendiz atop a Premier Boxing Champions on Prime Video PPV card at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. It’s not the first time his name has decorated billboards across the famed Las Vegas Boulevard, more commonly referred to as the Strip. Plant is a staple in the fight capital of the world. He’s married, has a growing family and invests in the NFL, real estate and stocks. He drives a ’72 Chevelle and a ’64 Impala. He has a ridiculous sneaker collection. It’s a far cry from his past, when he struggled through life in Ashland City.

When Plant was in class, he’d doodle over pieces of paper, rather than focus on his studies. “Why ain’t you doing your work?” one teacher asked a 9-year-old Caleb. “What are you doing?”

Caleb Plant returns against Jose Armando Resendiz on Saturday at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
(USA TODAY Sports / Reuters)

“I’m practicing my autograph,” he said.

“For what?”

“I’m going to be a world champion one day.”

“Well,” the teacher said, “You need a Plan B. What if that doesn’t work out?”

Plant played football and loved it. He excelled in sports. But as soon as he started boxing, he didn’t want to do anything else. “There’s honor in all work,” he says, but with ADHD, he knew he’d struggle to sit at a desk for an office job, or stand for an extended period of time packing groceries. He knew he was born to fight.

“I don’t need a Plan B,” he told the teacher. “It’s going to work.”

Almost 20 years later, Plant — by this time an American success story — had already won the IBF super middleweight championship and brought a fight to his home state for the first time in his career in 2020. He outclassed Vincent Feigenbutz from the opening bell and forced a referee’s stoppage in the 10th round at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

That teacher, the one who told him he’d need a Plan B, attended.

“Damn, if he didn’t go out and do it,” she said.

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Nothing ever came easy for Plant.Even after leaving Ashland City at age 21 and moving to West Nashville, hardship continued to follow his life. His 19-month-old daughter, Alia, passed away in her mother’s arms in 2015. She had seizures since birth. “Shortly after that, her mom left,” Plant says. He then lost his apartment. “Things were going downhill for me.”

Plant, a 5-0 pro at the time, told Alia before she died that he’d become a world champion. But he knew he still needed to get his life together. “I was making money through boxing, and other ways, and I felt my career was taking off,” he says. “I didn’t want to jeopardize that. So I stopped making money from other ways and moved to my friend’s house. It was right down the street from the gym. I can’t let this opportunity slip.”

It’s sometimes “a little heavy” for Plant to look back at his earlier life.

“If my life was one big f***-up, then that s*** would be a lot heavier as it would be one more thing added to the list,” he says.

“But I went out and made it happen.

“I made it through that. It didn’t break me. I could have folded, quit, stayed in a futon inside an abandoned office building, not having a lot of food. Being in the trailer, being the kid in the middle of nowhere, nobody boxed there, and so nobody thought I’d make it. I pulled up to national tournaments and nobody thought I’d be here.

“I did my thing.”

It’s “a badge of honor” that he’s taken into his high-profile fights, regardless of whether it’s a marquee match against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in 2021, which he lost, his comeback knockout win over Anthony Dirrell the following year, or subsequent showdowns against David Benavidez and Trevor McCumby.

It’s a badge of honor he’ll take into the Resendiz fight, too.

Caleb Plant is never one to back down. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
(USA TODAY Sports / Reuters)

Plant’s story is as relevant in 2025 as it was when he first told it.

“Poor is poor, regardless of what year you’re in,” Plant says. “It’s not an easy thing. It’s stressful.”

The fighter has a message for anyone experiencing hardship in 2025, like he did from birth in 1992 through the mid-2000s.

“You can chase money all day long and it’ll keep running and running [away],” he says. “Maybe you just keep skating by. The real secret to being successful is creating a skill. Becoming good at something. And it needs to be something you love. Because eventually it’ll get hard, something will get in the way. It’s raining, your car is messed up. And so if you don’t love it, you’ll end up quitting because it’s too hard. So you have to find something you love.

“And you gotta keep cultivating that skill until you’re really good at it. Then the money will come to you. ‘Oh man, we need you for your skill. We’ll pay you this.’ You build your reputation and move up the ladder. That’s only the way to beat that. ‘I’m going to work this job, get a second job, a third job.’ You’re just going to run yourself into the ground.

“You gotta create skill and create a way to let people know you have that skill so the money comes to you.”

Hardship no longer follows Plant as severely as it once did. He wants to handle his business May 31 “and keep moving forward after that.”

“If everything works out like it’s supposed to,” he says, “we have a big fight at the end of the year.”

That big fight may well be against Jermall Charlo, who co-features in the end-of-the-month show alongside Plant, against Thomas LaManna.

Should that fight come together, then few should bet against Plant because, damn, just ask his school teacher. He may well just go out and do it again.

Caleb Plant laser-focused on Jermall Charlo after Jose Armando Resendiz: ‘I’m going to step on him’

Caleb Plant collides with Jose Armando Resendiz on Saturday in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
(Steve Marcus via Getty Images)

When Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney co-headlined a show against different opponents at Times Square on May 2, plans were in place for the two rivals to meet in a long-awaited rematch in October if both had won. Instead, Rolando “Rolly” Romero tore up the script and upset Garcia by unanimous decision, forcing plans for a Garcia vs. Haney rematch to be temporarily shelved.

Caleb Plant and Jermall Charlo hope to have better luck when they share a bill in separate fights Saturday at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, with a view toward sharing the ring with each other later this year should both emerge successful against Jose Armando Resendiz and Thomas LaManna, respectively.

“I will say this has been happening in boxing for years and years and years, I mean tens and twenties and thirties of years,” Plant told Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “It’s been going on since way back — two guys get on a card, main event and co-main, and then they run it after that.

“Now, as of recently, there have been some mishaps. You spoke to the Devin and the Ryan situation, and you know, it was [always a possible outcome]. I did want to go right into the Charlo fight, but obviously he’s been inactive for a little bit, and he wanted to get active and get a tune-up fight or whatever you want to call it. And I felt like this was my fastest way to a big fight that I really wanted.”

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“At the time, [Saul] ‘Canelo’ [Alvarez] and [William] Scull were busy,” Plant continued. “[Jaime] Munguia was busy with Bruno [Surace], Edgar Berlanga doesn’t want to fight, so I can’t force his hand. … This was my fastest way to a big fight, so I did what I had to do.”

Charlo has recorded just one ring appearance in almost four years — an underwhelming 10-round decision win over Jose Benavidez Jr. in November 2023. In the past few years, the former middleweight champion has been battling drug and alcohol addictions, as well as mental health issues, so it’s understandable why he’d want an easier return fight before potentially taking on Plant later this year.

Plant (23-2, 14 KOs) and Charlo’s rivalry infamously escalated at the weigh-in for the Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence fight in July 2023, where Plant was filmed delivering an open-handed slap to Charlo’s face. Plant claimed that Charlo disrespected his marriage and grabbed him by the beard, so he was forced to retaliate.

Another foe floated for Plant, aside from Charlo, was the once-beaten contender Edgar Berlanga. Berlanga challenged Alvarez for the unified super middleweight title this past September but lost comfortably by decision. Plant and Berlanga have engaged in a public back-and-forth in recent months, which began during the buildup to Berlanga’s bout with Alvarez. Plant faced Trevor McCumby on the undercard.

“I think it’s more for just promo,” Plant said of Berlanga’s desire to fight. “My manager has reached out to his manager and we wanted to do something, I think it was in late July, and now here he is fighting in late July anyway, I believe. As of now, I’ve got a big fight on my hands and I’m not too focused on him. Like I said, if he wants to be part of the witness protection program and doesn’t want to fight, I can’t force his hand.”

Although much of the talk this week remains on his rivalry with Charlo, Plant refuses to look past the man who’ll be standing in front of him on Saturday. For the 26-year-old Resendiz (15-2, 11 KOs), a win would be life-changing, and Plant knows well how much that can spur on an underdog.

But one thing’s for certain: Resendiz will not be emulating Scull on Saturday. When given an opportunity on a televised card, Resendiz has shown that he comes to fight. Exciting and competitive bouts with Jarrett Hurd, Elijah Garcia and Marcos Hernandez have ensured that Resendiz continues to be a feature on Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions’ cards.

“This is a big moment for him,” Plant said of Resendiz. “I’ve said this in a lot of interviews leading up to now — I remember what it was like for me coming up and having a big moment like this, and how much it meant to me and how hard I worked for it. And I’m assuming that he’s coming with the same mindset, [the] same mentality, so he has to be taken seriously.

“He stopped Jarrett Hurd at 160 [pounds], now he’s moved up to ’68 and got a win there, and looking to come and take my interim title. So I know he’s tough, I know he’s coming to lay it all on the line, but my skills are far superior and there’s levels to this. The experience that I’ve had facing all the world champions I’ve fought: ‘Canelo,’ David Benavidez, former two-time world champ Anthony Dirrell, José Uzcátegui [was a] world champ, even [Rogelio] Medina was a tough competitor, a tough title eliminator.

Caleb Plant faced off against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in November 2021. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
(PATRICK T. FALLON via Getty Images)

“I feel like all that experience will be a major key in this fight. I’ve had a great camp. I’m super focused, super locked in and I’m going to step on him.”

Plant hopes that a strong win streak at super middleweight will eventually lead to a second meeting with Alvarez. But Alvarez already has a tough task in front of him with the former two-division undisputed champion and pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford in September.

Despite the two-division gap in weight between Alvarez and Crawford, Plant refuses to rule out Crawford’s chances.

“I give [Crawford] a shot. I don’t know who wins, and obviously there’s weight classes for a reason, but at the same time, Terence is a special, special person,” Plant said. “Special ability, special mental fortitude, special strength, and you can’t put too much past Terence Crawford, especially once he’s got his mind made up and really wants it, so we’ll see.

“I think both have things that fall in their favor, but that’s what makes this so interesting. That’s why everybody is going to tune in to see what’s going to go on, to see what’s going to happen. When it’s two special fighters like this, I think it’s most fair to just let the bell ring and let them handle it.

“I feel like this Crawford-Canelo matchup will be a lot more fan-friendly [than Alvarez vs. Scull],” Plant continued. “‘Bud’ isn’t just going to be running around the ring for 12 rounds, I can assure you that. That’s not in his blood, and obviously not Canelo’s either, so I think it’s going to be a fan-friendly fight.”