Ben Whittaker fears David Benavidez’s youth will prove too much for Anthony Yarde.
Yarde challenges the WBC light-heavyweight champion on Saturday evening at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and for perhaps the first time in his career enters a world-title fight with the seasoning required to win.
The 34-year-old was a significant-and-inexperienced underdog ahead of respective contests with Sergey Kovalev and Artur Beterbiev in 2019 and 2023, and though he was stopped on both occasions, his performances enhanced his reputation.
Benavidez, 28 and undefeated, is yet to prove himself at the level Kovalev was once at and at which Beterbiev remains, but Whittaker – who on November 28 confronts Benjamin Gavazi in Birmingham in his first fight since signing for Matchroom – regardless considers his fellow Briton a “massive underdog” on Saturday night.
Regardless of the outcome a future date between Yarde and the 28-year-old Whittaker remains possible on account of how competitive the British light-heavyweight scene is, but asked about Yarde’s chances of victory, Whittaker revealed that he favours Benavidez on account of his recent victories and youth.
“[Yarde’s a] massive underdog,” he said.
“He fought an [36-year] old Kovalev – fought great and lost. You don’t want to say Beterbiev was old – he was – 39, 40 [he was 38]; lost there.
“Where Benavidez is young and hungry, it's a big ask for me but he’s a Brit – I’m not a jealous, envious person. I’d love him to do it for Britain; bring bigger fights here as well; another world champion for the UK.
“But for me it’s probably a bit too much. It goes from there to there [motions at different levels with his hands].
“He fought Oleksandr Gvozdyk; David Morrell. He’s just going up and up – the quality is on Benavidez.”
