Ben Whittaker grabbed rival Ezra Arenyeka by the throat as tempers flared at Friday’s weigh-in at BOXPARK Croydon.
‘The Surgeon’ will take on Arenyeka at Selhurst Park this weekend, who approached the rising star at a press conference to secure his shot.
It has been a spiky build-up to the affair already, and things spilled over as the pair stepped on the scales.
After successfully making the light-heavyweight limit, the duo were brought face-to-face with the crowd responding to their rallying calls.
As the pair came face-to-face, Arenyeka got in the face of the Briton and began shouting insults at him.
Whittaker lost his cool and grabbed his rival by the throat and pushed him back, with security immediately looking to intervene.
His rival tried to slap out and defend himself, but the pair were dragged to the opposite parts of the stage.
Arenyeka despite having been forced away, then attempted to bizarrely throw a bra he had brought at Whittaker.
The former Olympic medalist was unfazed and flexed his muscles as his focus immediately switched to the job at hand.
When explaining his actions afterwards, he said: “Yeah man it’s first time I’ve had someone throw their mum’s knickers at me.
“He’s coming with all this energy. But it’s all nervous energy, tomorrow’s judgement day!
“It’s a beautiful belt for a beautiful person and it is going to be a beatdown.”
Whittaker has generated a huge audience to his fights after just seven outings as a professional.
He has seen comparisons of his flamboyant style to boxing icon Prince Naseem Hamed, as he has regularly showboated and danced around his opponents.
But the British star, who will challenge for the IBF international title, has downplayed the legend’s claim he is trying to pay ‘tribute’ to his former skills.
He remarked: “Listen it’s one of those things, everyone has their own opinions.
“When I first came on to the scene I said I never tried to be Naz, the tribute was because of Adidas.
“Secondly, everyone can say what they have got to say, if you look at some of his early fights he was fighting people with 17 losses.
“My kid had one loss so for me I have to just focus on my own career. I am at a completely different weight and boxing has changed now.”
