If there is one thing Ben Whittaker certainly doesn’t lack, it’s self-confidence. The British boxer, who after winning the silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is trying to make his way up the professional rankings, even believes he’s not that far from being able to face the current WBC light-heavyweight world champion, David Benavidez.
At the moment, “The Surgeon” holds a pro record of nine wins and one draw, with six knockouts. His climb toward the top suffered a setback last October, when his bout against Liam Cameron ended in a draw after a bizarre fall of both fighters out of the ring, which caused Whittaker to sprain his ankle.
Many accused the British boxer of faking the injury to escape a fight that was becoming complicated, but he responded by imposing himself convincingly in the subsequent rematch, which he won by technical knockout in the second round.
Although Whittaker has yet to face world-level opponents, when a journalist from the popular news site BoxingScene asked him how far he is from being able to challenge the fearsome Benavidez, “The Surgeon” replied with his usual swagger:
“Not far at all really, skill-wise I’m there now, but it’s experience that I need, but I’ve said it on someone else’s thing, on [Carl] Froch’s interview, [Benavidez] actually mentioned me. He [was asked], ‘Who’s a dream fight you would like?’ And he said, ‘Ben Whittaker at Wembley,’ so if you’ve got the champion mentioning you, it shows you’re doing something right. Even he said, ‘He’s got the skills, he just needs experience,’ and that’s exactly what I plan to do, is get that experience.”
Whittaker does not feel concerned about the champion’s aggressive, relentless style, which has often impressed the boxing world with its suffocating pressure:
“Yeah I’d say that’s my bread and butter if I’m honest. A lot of people see me; tall, lanky, rushing. I’ve fought that sort of style since I was seven years old. That is the style that I do like, of course it’s relentless, of course it’s intense, but it’s kind of the style that I like.”
Whittaker will return to the ring this Saturday at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, where he will face Germany’s Benjamin Gavazi. We’ll see whether he can climb the rankings quickly and earn himself a prestigious opportunity in the ring. Benavidez will most likely move up to cruiserweight for his next fight, but a return to light-heavyweight afterwards cannot be ruled out.