The WBC has ordered Joshua Buatsi and Ben Whittaker to meet in a final light heavyweight title eliminator today at their event in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Buatsi-Whitaker fight be ordered was just one of the moves the WBC announced today at its 63rd annual convention.
Whittaker, 28, captured the vacant WBC Silver light heavyweight title last month, knocking out Benjamin Gavazi in the first round to put him in position to fight Buatsi in a title eliminator against champion David Benavidez.
Is Whittaker even ready yet?
It is doubtful that promoter Eddie Hearn will give Whittaker the green light to face the more experienced 32-year-old Buatsi. Although Whittaker approaches 29 with an Olympic silver medal, he is matched by Hearn as a prospect with no amateur experience.
Why Hearn Can Stop This Fight
Given the near disaster of Ben’s first fight against journeyman Liam Cameron in 2024, it’s understandable why Hearn keeps the training wheels on him. Whittsaker still doesn’t appear to be solid enough to be thrown in with the Predators at 175.
Whittaker had just signed with Matchroom and had an easygoing spirit with lower-tier fighter Benjamin Gavazi selected as his opponent for his debut with the company on November 28, 2025.
Eddie’s third-level fairy tale is falling apart
Hearn said he wants Whittaker to take five fights before fighting for a world title. He started at what he referred to as the “third level”, and he is working his way up to the “1st level” where David Benavidez, Dmitri Bivol and Artur Beterbiev are.
Hearn considers Buatsi second tier, along with Anthony Yarde and Callum Smith. Interestingly, he didn’t mention David Morrell, Imam Khataev or the guy who beat Whittaker in the Olympics, Cuba’s. Arlen Lopez, as part of the second level.
How come the guy who beat Whittaker isn’t called a second tier fighter by Hearn? Yarde was just eliminated and tied in the 3rd tier against David Benavidez. Shouldn’t 2020 Olympic gold medalist Arlen Lopez be seen as second tier at the very least?
This suggests that they will be treated as the untouchable class, the third-rail types to whom Whittaker will be cunningly maneuvered around. For Hearn to not even mention Morrell, Lopez and Khataev as belonging to the second tier is a red flag that they are fighters Whittaker will avoid. When you’re creating a product for monetization, it’s a bad idea to let it get exposed by enter the general population among the predators at 175.
2020 Olympic silver medalist Whittaker (10-0-1, 7 KOs) is ranked No. 9 by the WBC, while Queensberry-promoted Buatsi (20-1, 13 KOs) is ranked No. 5.
Last updated on 12/03/2025
