BIRMINGHAM, England – Ben Whittaker has sent out a warning to the rest of the light heavyweight division.
The rising star from Wolverhampton made his much anticipated debut under new promotional outfit Matchroom Boxing after his departure from Boxxer. Coincidentally, Whittaker’s first bout under Eddie Hearn and Matchroom clashed with Boxxer’s first event under new broadcast partner BBC. Frazer Clarke and Jeamie Tshikeva put in an entertaining 12 rounds for the British heavyweight title over on BBC Two, with an enormous audience watching at home compared to Whittaker on DAZN. But it was Whittaker who stole the show with his performance. Whittaker was uncharacteristically vicious, and spiteful with his work, rendering the overmatched Benjamin Gavazi unconscious in little over two minutes.
“Yeah, it was good. The whole build-up was good,” said Whittaker. “It was professional. It was something fresh. It was something that I liked. It was something that got me up every morning. I was excited to fight, and at the end of the day, it was just down to me to go and perform, which I knew. And that's how you do it really. When you're walking with shorts and boots like this, you've got to back it up, and that's what I did. But at the end of the day, I did what I was supposed to do.”
Some would think that Whittaker, 10-0-1 (7 KOs), was hoping for more rounds to show his new audience exactly what he could do.
“No, not at all,” Whittaker said. “At the end of the day, we do the rounds in the gym. Andy [Lee my trainer] has got me doing 10 rounds each week, so for me, two minutes is perfect. But at the end of the day, the rounds will come around.”
During fight week there had been rather premature talk of Whittaker, who earned the WBC silver strap with his win and likely a top five ranking with the governing body, taking on WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez. Whittaker himself admitted that, while he backs his skills, gaining experience is key before taking on the top fighters in the 175lb division.
“I truly don't believe no one can move like me, drive my speed like me, and drive an IQ like me at 175lbs,” he said. “They can all bang. They can all grin. I've got something different. At the end of the day, I'm 11 fights in. That was my 11th fight and it's all about the process. When you want to build a star like me, that's it.
“I've got my own path. I'm on my own journey. And when I get there, I don't want to compete. I want to beat them. You know, I don’t just want to be part of the party. I want to be the man they don't want to fight. So that's the journey I'm on.”
Talk turned to more suitable fights for the developing Whittaker. With a good domestic showdown between Craig Richards and Dan Azeez next month in Ghana, Whittaker was asked if he fancied the winner.
“It's all about me, man,” said Whittaker. “At the end of the day, they are two good fighters. May the best man win. But for now, I'm going to focus on Christmas, get some pigs in blankets down, get some mashed potatoes down, eat all that. Then I'll be back in the gym. I'm just looking at focusing on my craft. I think these guys want me now because when I do perfect that craft it's going to be game over.”
Whittaker didn’t just join Hearn and Matchroom because of the incentive of fighting in big domestic fights across the UK. What also played a part was the appeal of fighting across the globe. Hearn has established himself as one of, if not the, leading promoter in the US, and also promotes in multiple territories globally. There had been rumours that a fight in the States could be next for Whittaker.
“It might sound weird, but even though I get a bit of a stick here, I love the UK,” said Whittaker. “I think our fans are the best. When they're arguing, I kind of like it more. But I've got a crazy fan base in America. I've got a crazy fan base in Japan. And weirdly, I've got a real crazy fan base in Brazil. So I'd like to travel to all these places, experience new things, new people, different styles, and I think I'm the person that can do it. But of course, coming back home, fighting up and down the country as well would be nice. But at the end of the day, I've got these people around me for that. For me, just getting there, I'm fine.”
The 28-year-old is not everyone’s cup of tea in the UK, with Whittaker rubbing up some onlookers the wrong way.
“It's all good and well having a bit of a herd mentality, but for me, I've always been different, even in school,” he said of his critics. “That's probably why I got kicked out. I've always been told to stand out. That's what my mum told me, to be a standout star, and that's what I'm trying to be in boxing. But it's authentic as well. A lot of people fake it. At the end of the day, I'm just being me. I know when to turn it on. I know when to turn it off. And that's it.”
