Whittaker to potentially face British opponent in 2027.
Considered by many fans to be the Naseem Hamed of the present day, Ben Whittaker has danced and showboated his way to online fame, and he has only seemed to improve with every performance.
In his last fight, he made his debut over in the United States, and he took no time at all to blast through Richard Rivera, a foe with the splendid ring moniker of “Popeye the Sailor Man” who was thought to be a step-up for Whittaker.
Given the ease with which he dispatched of his opponent, a quick ring return was not just likely, but a given. And so, it was announced that Whittaker would be taking on world-ranked contender Conor Wallace in a final eliminator for the IBF light-heavyweight title in October.
But while a victory would make him the mandatory challenger to Dmitry Bivol’s world championship, there may just be another opponent in mind for Whittaker’s first outing after the Wallace bout.
When speaking to talkSPORT Boxing about the potential return of Anthony Yarde, Tunde Ajayi (Yarde’s trainer and manager) was asked about a potential bout with Whittaker, and Ajayi replied, “Listen, we’ve spoke[n] to Frank [Smith about a fight with Whittaker] … They told us he wasn’t gonna be ready until early next year.
“And so, you know, Ben is on his trajectory now … It’s funny. I always say, like, people always try to build their name off Anthony Yarde, and I don’t want Ben Whittaker to be another Joshua Buatsi, where your whole career is built off us, and you still don’t fight for a world title.”
Ajayi ultimately concluded with, “I’m happy for Ben Whittaker, and Ant[hony Yarde] would relish a fight against him if the opportunity arose.”
Having faced the likes of Artur Beterbiev, Sergey Kovalev, and David Benavidez, Yarde is a proven force in the 175-pound division. Should an all-British battle between him and Ben Whittaker take place, U.K. fans will be in for a very exciting night.
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