Callum Smith discussed Ben Whittaker and his own Olympic experiences with Simon Jordan
Former WBA and Ring magazine super-middleweight champion Callum Smith has told William Hill’s podcast, Up Front with Simon Jordan, that he believes Olympic silver medallist Ben Whittaker’s viral showboating antics are “disrespectful” to fighters whom he described as “journeymen”, advising the young fighter to simply “go about his business” and “do the basics a bit better.”
Featuring on William Hill’s Up Front with Simon Jordan, a podcast hosted by the former Crystal Palace owner who speaks to sports stars and celebrities and challenges their opinions whilst scrutinising their careers, Smith said: “Ben Whittaker’s antics aren’t my cup of tea. He’s trying to be like Naseem Hamed but Naz was doing it at Madison Square Garden in world title fights, not against journeymen.
“I do think he is a great talent, he’s a very good fighter and I think he’ll go to the top. He just needs to do the basics a bit better and get rid of his opponents. If he can do that at the highest level with all of his showboating as well then fair play.
“At the moment he’s only doing it against journeymen who have finished their days work and then gone to be an opponent for him. They’re there to help him out, not to beat him – I think it is disrespectful.
“Prince Naseem did it at the highest level, but then again he was a one-off. I think he should just go about his business at the moment, but talent-wise he is a very good fighter and will go to the highest level.
“He is well known now compared to the other Olympians because of his character and although he is showboating, he is putting in good performances as well. Who am I to tell him to stop?”
Whittaker has caused further controversy with comments that he could beat both Joshua Buatsi and Dan Azeez right now.
Missing out on London 2012 will always haunt me
Smith then went on to talk about his own Olympic experience, or lack thereof, after he failed to qualify for London 2012 following a controversial loss in a qualifying tournament. The former WBA and Ring magazine champion explained that although never going to an Olympics will “always kill me inside”, he wouldn’t swap his glittering career for an Olympic appearance.
“It will always kill me inside that I never made it into the Team GB squad for the London Olympics,” said Smith. “The Olympics is happening this summer and you wouldn’t even really know it, whereas I was around for London 2012 and it was huge! Everyone was constantly counting down the days and every tournament we went to, whether you won or lost, was all preparation for London 2012. It was such a big thing, so to not be there having felt like I deserved to go was tough to take.
“Even now, I’ve had a great professional career which has been better than most in the sport, but I still would love to be able to call myself an Olympian. I wouldn’t swap what I’ve won but it still grates on me. I would’ve loved to be an Olympian but not solely for the fighting side of it, the whole experience of the Athletes’ Village and the atmosphere would have been amazing. I have been to the Commonwealth Games and experienced it there, but I can only imagine that the Olympics would be 10 times bigger than that.
“It does still bother me that I missed out on that experience, but from the day I turned professional I said to myself that I wouldn’t let it hold me back. I thought I could still have a good career without having gone to the Olympics and I believe I have.”