Promoter Eddie Hearn says his new signee Ben Whittaker is “five fights away” from being ready to face the elite light heavyweights, Dmitry Bivol, David Benavidez, and Artur Beterbiev.
(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
That’s a big step up in class for the 28-year-old Whittaker to be taking after only 10 fights as a pro. However, given Ben’s age, it’s understandable why Hearn is fast-tracking him. Whittaker is the same age as Benavidez, and older than 27-year-old former two-division world champion David Morrell of Cuba.
Hearn can’t afford to baby Whittaker with weak matchmaking because he should be near-ready now to at least try and compete with the top fighters at 175. If he can’t do it at this point, it won’t help waiting until he’s in his early 30s.
“A lot of people reached out to me from Germany, saying, ‘This kid [Gavazi] is game, he’s bang up for this.’ I think Ben will look sensational on Saturday. He needs to because he’s that good, and there’s that much hype behind him,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to The Stomping Ground about light heavyweight Ben Whittaker making his debut with Matchroom Boxing against Benjamin Gavazi on Saturday.
Hearn recently signed the 2020 Olympic silver medalist Whittaker (9-0-1, 6 KOs) to a long-term deal with Matchroom. He fights for the first time under their banner this Saturday, November 29th, against Benjamin Gavazi (19-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round bout at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England.
“You’ve got to be going through, slicing and dicing these guys. He’s had 10 fights,” said Hearn about Whittaker. “Buatsi, Yarde, and dare I say, Callum Smith, are coming toward the back end [of 2026]. Then you’ve got to get yourself ready for the super elite guys.
“Ben is five fights away from being anywhere near ready for Bivol, Benavidez, and Beterbiev. He has the potential to get there, but that’s a whole other level that we’ve got to take him to and make sure he’s properly prepared for with [trainer] Andy Lee,” said Hearn.
