Promoter Eddie Hearn believes light-heavyweight contender Ben Whittaker will be able to use his US debut next month to springboard him to bigger things. 

Whittaker has had just one fight since leaving Boxxer and joining Matchroom, defeating Braian Suarez in a round in Liverpool last month.

On June 27, on the Xander Zayas-Jaron Ennis bill in Brooklyn, New York, at the Barclays Center, Whittaker faces the 27-2 (20 KOs) Richard Rivera, who fights out of Hartford, Connecticut. 

“I just think it’ll be a great experience,” said Hearn.

“I think one thing that people aren’t necessarily absorbing is how good Ben Whittaker is and how much he’s improving. Because I think people just think he’s rolling through people. But the Suarez win was a really good win, especially in that fashion. And this fight against Rivera is not an easy fight. He [Rivera]’s a decent, decent fighter. And I think that whole week, that whole build-up, the ring walk, the swag, everything, it’s going to grab everyone's attention. You've got Emiliano Vargas and Ben Whittaker on that card. It’s really like two of the hottest young stars coming through the respective markets. I think it’s going to be a big moment for him. And after this, he’ll be back around October time, headlining in Birmingham.”

Hearn, of course, is thinking beyond one fight at a time for the Olympic silver medallist.

And after Zak Chelli’s underdog stoppage win over David Morrell last week, some have linked Chelli to a future fight with Whittaker.

Asked whether that was a fight that interested Hearn, the promoter said: “It wasn’t.”

“But I guess you have to put Zak in the mix for all those fights. He's done brilliantly well.

“And he’s going to want big fights. I think it’ll be interesting to deal with Zak and the old man, who’s a great character as well. And they’ll probably want about 10 million quid.

“But he’s earned his right to be in a big fight next.”

Morrell was rattled in the ninth and stopped in the 10th by the unfancied Englishman. The Cuban had been due to face Callum Smith in April but Smith was injured in the build-up and Morrell was paired with Chelli a few weeks later.

“How many times have we seen a fighter who was in a big fight, that fighter pulls out, and then you have a couple of weeks off training, your head’s gone,” Hearn explained.

“Then you get told you’re fighting in two weeks. But he was winning every round until he got slightly buzzed in the ninth, and then pole-axed in the 10th. I couldn't believe it. I mean, fair play to Zak Chelli.”