Ben Whittaker Aims To Be Boxing’s Next Superstar, Targets World Titles In ‘A Year Or Two’
Ben Whittaker insists he will continue to entertain in the ring as the rising British prospect aims to become one of boxing’s next superstars.
Whittaker may only be seven fights into his professional career, but the light-heavyweight is already generating lots of attention. That is mainly due to his flashy and unorthodox style which sees him routinely dance around the ring and showboat.
Whittaker has received some criticism for his approach, with some people believing he is disrespecting his opponents. Most fans, though, appear to enjoy his style.
Either way, ‘The Surgeon’ said he won’t be changing for anyone.
“Sports people all have their own opinion and it’s love and hate… but I’ve said this many times – it’s not disrespectful,” Whittaker said in an interview with the Daily Mirror.
“If you look at Lionel Messi, if he puts it through someone’s legs… is that disrespectful? I’m just doing the same in boxing, having fun. At the end of the day, as long as I’m getting the job done, I’m winning. If I was doing that and losing, then maybe we could say something.”
Whittaker Loving The Limelight
Whittaker’s cocky and confident style in the ring is an accurate reflection of his personality out of it. The 26-year-old is proving to be a master self-promoter – a skill all the best-paid fighters possess – and has amassed more than 1.6 million followers on Instagram, which is a huge number for a novice.
“We’re the new age now – everything is digital,” Whittaker said. “Closed mouths don’t get fed. In this sport, if you don’t put yourself out there (you’ll get nowhere). It might be risky. Some people don’t like the limelight. But me, I love it.”
Behind all the dancing and bravado, though, is a highly skilled and talented fighter. Whittaker was an accomplished amateur and won silver at the Tokyo Olympics, in addition to a gold medal in the European Championships, silver at the European Games, and bronze at the World Championships.
There are therefore high hopes that he can inject some excitement and glamor into the light-heavyweight division – a division stacked with top fighters but lacking in star quality.
For instance, the two world champions, Artur Beterbiev and Dimitry Bivol, are among the finest fighters on the planet but are still not household names. Whittaker has roughly the same number of social media followers as the two champions combined.
“There are so many domestic fighters in the UK who are quite good. At the top level you’ve got Beterbiev and Bivol who are great fighters. But they all fight one way,” Whittaker said. “Me, I bring a different type of excitement. And when you bring that different type of excitement, no matter who you fight they will want to tune in to watch you.”
Shalom Predicts World Titles
Whittaker’s promoter, Ben Shalom, unsurprisingly agrees, telling the Daily Mirror in the same interview: “The division needs a superstar. I think he’s going to elevate the whole division… no one’s got the superstar potential of Ben.”
Amid all the hype, excitement, and attention, it’s important to remember that Whittaker is still a relative novice in the pro ranks. Naturally in a hurry to reach the top as soon as possible, the 26-year-old admitted that he is still learning on the job.
“I’m in a great position where I want to go through the ranks. But it’s all about building your profile and getting the right fights, keep getting different audiences involved and being active,” he said.
“And when you’re active under the lights, you learn better. For me, hopefully five fights this year, maybe four to three the next year. And maybe when I’m in those bigger fights, it will slow down then.”
Those future “bigger fights” are, of course, world titles, and Whittaker revealed that he wants to be “knocking” on the door for opportunities in “a year or two”.
Shalom is also backing his fighter to make a rapid rise to the top. “He’s a showman, but he’s also an elite-level fighter who will go on to win world titles.”
