Ben Whittaker says he is now on the level of David Benavidez and other elite light heavyweights “skill-wise.”
Whittaker (9-0-1, 6 KOs) says he’ll be in the elite at 175 in “a few more fights.” Promoter Eddie Hearn may have other ideas, as he talks about wanting to bring the 2020 Olympic silver medalist to light with the top powers at a slower, five-fight pace.
Whittaker, 28, has yet to shake off the quitter label fans gave him after falling out of the ring during his first fight against Liam Cameron in 2024. They saw a fighter who chose not to continue fighting when the going got tough against a local boxer.
Quitting against that level of an opponent was a harbinger of things to come. Hearn chose to ignore that fight and sign Ben anyway. Will he survive to regret this signing?
Whittaker will show tonight if he is cut from the same cloth as David Benavidez and Dmitry Bivol when he fights Benjamin Gavazi.
The two meet in the 10-round main event for the vacant WBC Silver light heavyweight title in a 10-rounder at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham. Whittaker-Gavazi will be shown live on DAZN.
“Not far. Skill wise I think I’m there now,” said Ben Whittaker iFL TV when asked how far he is from being at David Benavidez’s level in terms of elite light heavyweights. “I’m only 10 fights in. A few more fights and I’ll be there.”
The way Whittaker fights, displays and moves is nothing like the elite light heavyweights. WBC light heavyweight champion Benavidez constantly attacks his opponents and wastes no time with showboating. The same with Artur Beterbiev.
Bivol moves in and out, but doesn’t fool around and try to make his opponents look bad like Whittaker does.
“Obviously you want to see me in that mix,” Whittaker said when asked if he considered himself among the top local fighters, Anthony Yarde, Lyndon Arthur and Joshua Buatsi. “I’m the youngest one out of them. I probably have the best skills out of them. They have experience.”
Ideally, Whittaker needs to fight those three fights to show he can beat contenders before being thrown in with the sharks at 175, Benavidez, Bivol and Beterbiev. The wheels might come off the Whittaker train long before he gets to the elite level guys if Hearn tests him first.
What Hearn should have done was wait to see if Whittaker was fool’s gold or the real 24k before signing him to a long-term deal with Matchroom. Signing him to a one or two fight deal and testing him against Callum Smith and Buatsi would have been the smart move. Hearn is high on Callum so this would have been the perfect audition for Whittaker.
“But for me it’s whatever comes first. If a world title comes up first or a route to a world title, of course I’ll take it,” Whittaker said. “But if I have to go through those guys, pick them off one by one, I’ll do it. I’ve got 10 fights, and I’ve got people with 20 and 30 fights calling me out. So, whatever I’m doing, I’m doing something right. I think the more experience I get, the more dangerous I am. So, if I were them, I’d get me right now.”
Last updated on 29/11/2025
