Ben Whittaker is detained at an airport
British boxer Ben Whittaker was detained at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia following a tense encounter with a fan shortly after his unusual draw against Liam Cameron at the Kingdom Arena. The incident occurred last Saturday, where Whittaker, 27, faced Cameron but the match ended unexpectedly in the fifth round due to a leg injury sustained when he fell over the ropes.
After being taken from the ring in a wheelchair to receive medical attention, Whittaker was visibly frustrated, reportedly punching a wall in anger. Despite this, he was later seen walking through airport security in Riyadh with his ankle bandaged.
According to a witness present at the airport, tensions escalated when Whittaker approached a fan attempting to take a photo. The situation quickly intensified, leading Whittaker to snatch the fan's phone and reportedly smash it on the ground. Airport security intervened, detaining both Whittaker and the fan, and both had to surrender their passports temporarily.
Whittaker later expressed his willingness to pay for the damaged phone, and the situation cooled down enough for the two to sit at a nearby café, where they exchanged contact information to resolve the matter amicably. “They literally did it at the Costa or Starbucks in front of everyone,” the witness noted.
Despite showing signs of his recent fight, with bruises and a slight limp due to his injury, Whittaker did not shy away from confronting the fan. Following the incident, he issued an apology, expressing gratitude for the fan's willingness to discuss the situation. “This was a really unfortunate event, and I’m grateful to the gentleman that he sat down to talk about it straight afterward and accepted my apology. We are in touch about replacing his phone and coming along to a future event as our guest,” Whittaker told The Sun.
The match with Liam Cameron ended anticlimactically when both fighters fell over the ropes at the end of the fifth round. While Cameron managed to get back on his feet, Whittaker remained on the canvas, clutching his right leg, which led to the fight being stopped. The judges reached a split decision draw, and Whittaker was wheeled out following the incident.
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