Ben Whitaker made changes ahead of his rematch with Liam Cameron.
After an extraordinary fall, it was when both fighters rolled out of the ring, and their first fight ended with a draw of a controversial technical decision.
They will have a rematch in Birmingham on Sunday and live on Sky Sportsand Whitaker has a new trainer in his corner.
Former WBO middleweight world champion and acclaimed professional coach Andy Lee is currently working with Olympic silver medalists.
“I’ve just seen a fighter who is extremely talented and requires guidance, structure,” Lee said. Sky Sports. “Behind every persona is a young man who is extremely humble, honest and determined.
“Talents like Ben need mentoring. They need channeling. They need guides. So I thought it was tragic to see these fighters not reach his potential due to lack of proper coaching.”
It will be a very pressurized opportunity to draw headlines at BP Pulse Live Arena in a high stakes rematch, especially for the first fight in the new trainer-boxer partnership.
“Trust and relationships are built over time, and we don’t have the luxury of it,” Lee said. “But there are a lot of talks going on during training camp.
“You need to communicate and know what makes them ticking and how you think.”
He added Whitaker. “There’s nothing about how good he’s. I think he’s a potential world champion. I don’t want to go to the top, but from what I saw at the gym it’s so exciting to watch, and it’s so much fun to watch, and he can barely do what he wants to do in sports.
“But you need to go through steps and get it. It’s not given because you’re talented. You need to work for it and get it.”
Whittaker early in his professional career previously tended to make headlines with his often epic showboats.
He was heavily criticized after a draw with Cameron. “That’s the nature of the world we live in today,” Lee said.
“It’s probably a great lesson not only as a fighter, but as a person to take everything with salt, highs and lows, praise and criticism.
“One day, you’re a hero, and the next day you’re a villain.”
It’s a must-see battle for Whittaker. However, when he enters Cameron’s rematch, Lee believes his own reputation is at risk.
“We’re both together anyway. My reputation and his reputation are both on the line. We both work hard to win,” he said.
“I’ll put it all on the line for Ben. I’ll bring him back all the way.”
Why Lee?
After seeing his first fight with Cameron, it was Andy Lee who first reached out to Whitaker.
“I’ve always wanted a change, I knew it was coming,” Whitaker said. Sky Sports. “I was always going to change, but that was the time.”
Lee’s appeal as a trainer was not clear to Whitaker. “He’s the guy I always admire in boxing. He did what I wanted to achieve, he’s a world champion,” he said.
“He gave birth to the champion himself, he is the champion himself.”
Whitaker moved training camp to Dublin and worked with Lee.
“You cut off the distraction and it’s just about doing it and having fun working,” he said.
“I love every minute of it. I’m learning. We’re a good combination.”
Watch Ben Whitaker vs Liam Cameron rematch on Sunday’s live show Sky Sports.