Ben Whittaker has to be the future. For Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom and even British boxing.
The Olympic silver medalist fights on Saturday night and not only must win but do so in style in a critical fight for British boxing.
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Whittaker claimed a glorious silver five years ago at the rearranged Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Since then he endured a scare as a professional in 2024, but put that right in style last year and is now at the very top of a small list of British boxers poised to take the sport forward. The feeling is that Whittaker must become a global star; it is that simple.
Whittaker fights Australia’s Conor Wallace, who was born in Ireland, in Birmingham against a backdrop of noise, claims and confusion about big fights and where the next stars of the sport are coming from. Whittaker, born in Wolverhampton, is a fight or two from truly big fights and is already an attraction.
Promoter Hearn has had a decade of dominance in the British boxing business, with two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua in nearly 20 major fights and attracting crowds of close to 70,000 outdoors on six occasions.
And Whittaker is a massive part of Hearn and Matchroom’s future, once ‘AJ’ calls time on his career. Hearn had created the same legend for Conor Benn before the boxer’s spectacular defection to Zuffa and Dana White in February of this year, before his knockout loss to Ryan Garcia away from the Matchroom stable.
Ben Whittaker arrives in the Paddock prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit (Getty)
Whittaker is not the only British boxer fighting for the future of the sport, the spoils and a global platform. There is competition, thankfully, and perhaps a dozen other boxers are chasing the same dream, the same coveted position, the same adoration that the last decade of fighters has enjoyed. Some of those giants are a single fight or two away from retirement.
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Moving forward, there will need to be fights where a calculated risk is added to the accepted jeopardy that exists with any fight; there will also need to be – especially in Britain – a lot of work and co-operation between promoters, men with an eye on the future and beyond the scope of their next show or two. And their protected stable of boxers. There is no crisis, but it does look like a few lean years might be on the horizon.
Ben Whittaker (L) throws a punch at Richard Rivera on the Xander Zayas v Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis undercard (Getty)
Whittaker was handed a fright two years ago when he tumbled from the ring against Liam Cameron in a bad-tempered fight in Saudi Arabia; it was called a draw and, in the rematch, under the guidance of highly-rated trainer Andy Lee, the fight finished in two rounds with Cameron in ruins. Since that night last April, Lee and Whittaker have won three times; two finished in the first, one in the second. Whittaker has been transformed since that bad night in Riyadh.
In a division of aged stars, there will inevitably be titles and opportunities in the next year; Whittaker must be ready because he needs to win, retain and firmly get established as a major player in the British business.
Odel Kamara of England celebrates during the World Boxing Cup Finals 2024 (Getty)
On Saturday, Wallace will have the right amount of bravery and vulnerability to make Whittaker look special. Then, well, there are a lot of quality British veterans at light-heavyweight to help Whittaker become a big star. That is the plan.
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Whittaker might just sit ringside three hours before his fight when Liverpool’s Odel Kamara makes his professional debut; last September, Kamara won a bronze medal as an amateur at the World Boxing Championships, losing a split to the eventual winner Torekhan Sabyrkhan, from Kazakhstan. Whittaker will like Kamara; he has that same edge that he has.
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