Whittaker should be world class by now

Matchroom CEO Frank Smith says Ben Whittaker has not been matched in the right way in his three-year professional career following his silver medal at the 2020 Olympics.

Three years, and still no real test

Whittaker Evolution Growth has stopped Because of poor success. Now 28 years old, he has yet to compete against any notable opponent. At his age, he should have been fighting high-level opposition years ago. Frank Smith is understandably unhappy with the way Ben was matched.

“It’s all about progress,” Smith says.

“With the platform we are also pushing him and pointing him in the right path. It’s all about progressing in his career,” said Matchroom CEO Frank Smith. talkSport Boxing About his new signing, Ben Whittaker.

Ben’s previous promoters at Boxxer chose to take a gradual approach to Whittsaker’s development, choosing to face him against lower-tier fighters rather than immediately promoting him against top-tier contenders.

“I don’t think so far he’s had that in terms of fights. I don’t think he’s necessarily been matched up the right way, and I think that’s what we can do now,” Smith said, criticizing how Boxxer has kept up with Whittaker during his two-year, nine-fight pro career.

Whitaker’s lost years

In hindsight, this was an unusual approach, as Whittaker had Olympic experience and had shown he could compete against high-level fighters from the start after turning pro.

Smith and promoter Eddie Hearn believe the 28-year-old Whittaker (9-0-1, 6 KOs) has the potential to be a “commercial star” with the right progression.

Smith said of Whittaker: “He is without doubt Britain’s biggest commercial star and has the potential to be a superstar. He has it all.”

Matchroom Fast Track Scheme

For Ben to become a star, he will need to move quickly to make up for lost time and allow him to develop. Given how Whittaker matches up, he’s still a rookie in terms of experience at the pro level and needs to make up for lost time.

Ideally, Matchroom should focus on getting Whittaker as many fights as possible in 2026 to give him progression opportunities.