Whittaker A generational talent ready for elite

Promoter Eddie Hearn believes his new signing Ben Whittaker is a “generational talent” who will be ready to fight the elite light heavyweights within five fights. It’s a lot of pressure Ben is under with Hearn labeling him a “generational” type fighter.

Whittaker’s headline fight against lightweight Benjamin Gavazi on Saturday will prove Hearn right about the Olympic silver medalist in 2020. There are already many fans who believe he made a mistake in signing him to a long-term deal with Matchroom.

“This is a guy who has everything. We’ve seen his social media figures. But I like him because I think he’s a world-class fighter,” Eddie Hearn told Rachel Rose Boxing’s. YouTube channel, talking about Ben Whittaker ahead of his fight this Saturday against Benjamin Gavazi.

The 28-year-old Whittaker (9-0-1, 6 KOs) faces Gavazi (19-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round fight at the National Exhibition Center, Birmingham, England.

Whittaker looked good in his last fight, knocking out Liam Cameron in the second round in their rematch on 20 April 2025. However, in their first fight, Whittaker struggled with the pressure Cameron put on him, and strangely fell out of the ring in the sixth round. He was injured in the fall. Fans saw this as a sign that Ben had mentally stopped.

“I believe he can be a world champion. This is the first part of his journey with us. Mainly because it’s the British public, they don’t like flashiness,” Hearn said of the criticism Whittaker has received from fans for his showboating.

Whittaker’s age makes it important that Hearn doesn’t take the slow approach with him as he is already approaching 30. He can’t be brought along slowly like other starting fighters.

“He was so good at it. It wasn’t like he did it and got beat. I look at it like, ‘Look at this flash b****.’ Then on the other hand I think: ‘We should have had him.’ And then I see her social media following go up, and up, and up,” Hearn said of the surge in Whittaker’s popularity.

“Five years before he turned pro, I knew how good he was. Everyone was talking about him in Team GB. He went to the Olympics. He won a silver,” Hearn said.