Ben Whittaker turned a lot of heads in his recent boxing match, where he danced, taunted and showboated before scoring a brutal fifth-round knockout.
The 26-year-old Olympic silver medalist quickly became a notable name in the field of sweet science, but not everyone in the boxing world liked his attitude. Whittaker received multiple warnings from the referee for his actions, even though fans seemed to like the flash and flair he showed en route to his victory.
Whittaker's promoter Ben Shalom, chief executive officer of the start-up organization BOXXER, said that if there was one referee, he would want to put on a show for Whittaker and every fight, even if there were complaints from boxing purists. He promises that his wishes will not change.
“I would say yes to anyone else.” [it might change them]But I promise you he was warned by this referee and I think the last referee went too far,” Shalom said. MMA Hour. “Keep in mind, I think this was the first time an American audience saw him. There was something like, 'This kind of thing has to stop.' The referee went to see him beforehand, but he couldn't stop him last time. That's the way he fights.that's him [unsettles] his opponent.
“He's just a showman. He's a superstar. Peacock and NBC are completely obsessed with him. His last game had 100 million views across platforms. That. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Whittaker said he doesn't act like that in the ring just to garner mentions and opinions on social media, but rather that it's just what he loves to fight.
That style, combined with a skill set that has seen Whittaker go 6-0 with five knockouts in his pro career, convinced Shalom he had a future superstar in his hands.
“For me, it's not just the future star of British boxing, it's the future star of boxing,” Shalom said. “If you have someone who wants to entertain, someone who wants to introduce the sport of boxing, he's not just a showman, he's a phenomenal boxer. He's one of the most talented fighters I've ever seen, if not one of the most talented fighters I've ever seen. One of the most talented fighters ever. He has traveled all over the world with his amateur career. He's tough. He's dated Eastern Europeans. He's dated Russians. He was with the Cubans. So he checks that box as well.
“As I said at the beginning of the interview, I think it's up to us as promoters to give him that slot and make sure he's on the biggest platform because this is going to fly. Ben Whittaker could be a long-term star in the boxing world. Potentially the face of boxing and the face of boxing. He is currently one of the most followed boxers in British boxing, with over 1 million boxing fans following his six fights. It's crazy that he's amassed a following and made such an impact in such a short amount of time.”
Whittaker's next fight will be broadcast on the Peacock streaming service in the US on Sunday, further expanding the audience who can watch his fights.
As Shalom and BOXXER continue to expand into new territories, the 30-year-old promoter believes Whittaker may actually be the organization's best path to conquering the United States.
“I think he will probably be the one coming into the United States,” Shalom said. “Because we know how passionate NBC is.” [on him]”
Shalom believes Whittaker has yet to reach his full potential, but expects him to do more with each game.
Along the way, Shalom believes Whittaker will continue to rack up wins and create even more popular moments.
“No one has seen anything yet,” Shalom said. “Because we're lucky enough to work with him and know him very well, we know his focus, we know what goes into his technique. , because the team around him is phenomenal. We'll find out on Sunday.”
