The reaction focused less on activity and more on who he was facing. One fan wrote: “He’s almost 29 with a deep amateur background; he should be fighting better competition now,” noting that David Morrell started high-level fights early in his career. Another comment questioned Whittaker going with a travel companion, while others directly asked who he was facing in Liverpool and in the US.
Whittaker turned professional in 2022 after winning Olympic silver and building one of the strongest amateur records in the British system. He signed with Matchroom on October 6, 2025 and has fought once since then, stopping Benjamin Gavazi in the first round on November 29.
He is the same age as Morrell and has built up a similar number of professional fights, but his opposition has remained at a lower level. His bouts largely came against experienced opponents who were brought in to extend rounds, giving him time to work on different aspects of his style.
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has not announced an opponent for the April 18 return and has not provided any details on the planned American debut, other than to confirm that it will follow the Liverpool fight.
Those fights kept him active, but they didn’t answer questions about how he performs against fighters working closer to title level.
No opponent has been confirmed for April 18, and no details have been released for the American debut following its placement after the Liverpool date. The two fights are expected to form part of Matchroom’s spring and early summer schedule. The dates have been set, but the level of opposition remains the point of question.
