Ben Whittaker confident of beating Joshua Buatsi and Dan Azeez right now

Ben Whittaker discusses his matchmaking so far and views the level he's at

It's been an electrifying start in the pro ranks for Olympic silver medallist and rapidly rising Light Heavyweight prospect Ben ‘The Surgeon’ Whittaker (6-0, 5KO).

After just six professional fights, the baying boxing crowd are impatiently eager to see the polarising figure step up and test himself against a recognisable name already.

In an intriguing interview on the George Groves Boxing Club podcast, we got a fascinating insight into a multitude of topics, including how Whittaker got into boxing, where the showboating started, his relationship with Anthony Joshua, as well as plans for the rest of this year.

Despite his arrogant in-ring persona, it was enlightening to see a more level headed and down to earth side to the brash boxer.

One of the most interesting topics discussed was how he views himself against the current leading domestic Light Heavyweight rivals.

When asked about how far away he thought he was against the likes of Joshua Buatsi and Dan Azeez, West Midlander Whittaker confidently stated, ‘If I’m honest I’m not far at all, honestly I could beat both of them now, but it’s one of those things if I beat them then where do I go after that?’

He then added that ‘Buatsi was on Sky not so long ago and he said a good thing, Bivol and Beterbiev have got the belts tied up, so where do I go? So that’s the same with me. Where would I go? What I need is activity.’

Though it may seem unrealistic for a six-bouter to truly believe they are capable of besting the likes of a WBA #1 in only their seventh contest, this confidence was also underpinned by a level of realism.

He stated, ‘It’s all well and good getting these viral moments but what I need is some tough fights, where you do get hit, how do you react, where you have to dig in, that’s what I want.’

It was also interesting to hear Whittaker discuss his matchmaking by his promotional outfit BOXXER so far, expressing a slight dissatisfaction with the names he typically gets offered to choose from, ‘It’s a bit annoying, like we don’t get a lot of names on the list, literally sometimes it’s just one name, and it’s like are there no other options? We can get a bigger name. But it’s just the point we’re at right now’.

Whilst trusting his team around him, consisting of long-time amateur trainer, Jobi, Kronk Gym's SugarHill Steward, his father, and promoter Ben Shalom, it is evident the 26-year-old is chomping at the bit to be let off the leash as soon as possible.

It should be a huge year 2024 for Whittaker, where activity and building his profile seem to be the primary objectives, in conjunction with moving himself in a title contention.

Given the way he fights, he will always be a divisive character, like prince Naseem before him. Fans will tune in to support him, whilst an equal number will be watching in the hope to see him get humbled, however, thankfully for Whittaker, this will only heighten his marketability and profile.

No matter how quickly he gets rushed through to title fights, there is little doubt it is going to be an exhilarating ride along the way, and whether you love him or hate him, it's gonna' be some journey!