Promoter Frank Smith made that clear ahead of Whittaker’s return on April 18, admitting his opponent will not live up to expectations.
“I have to tell you the truth, it will not be a competitor that people will jump upside down,” said Smith.
It’s a huge gamble for Matchroom, and frankly, the “Quittaker” labels from the Liam Cameron incident haven’t fully washed away. You see about the age gap in development; at 28, Ben Whittaker should enter his prime, not just treading water in the “jobs” of bouts.
The comparison between David Morrell and David Benavidez is surprising. While Whittaker was hyped as a 21-year-old prospect, his peers are already multi-division champions or headliners at major PPVs.
The frustration from fans is a combination of the level of opposition and the dissonance between Whittaker’s showboating, “look-at-me” showboating and the true essence of his resume.
Many fans still feel that Whittaker was “exposed” by Liam Cameron and that the injury was an easy way out of a losing battle. Bringing in “toughness” on April 18 only reinforces the narrative that he can’t handle anyone pushing back.
If Whittaker fights four times this year against lower-quality opposition, he enters 2027 at nearly 30 years of age without a single home win against the likes of Anthony Yarde or Joshua Buatsi.
28-year-old 2020 Olympic silver medalist Whittaker (10-0-1, 7 KOs) is scheduled to fight on the undercard of Callum Smith vs. David Morrell vs. to be announced at the Liverpool Arena.
The original plan had set up Whittaker to appear in the US along with the delayed timeline of Jaron Ennis vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr., but repeated movements that day forced a change.
Instead of leaving him inactive, Matchroom opted for a quick fight, even if it means accepting inferior opposition. Smith said the priority is to keep Whittaker active while the big opportunities are still unknown.
“We wanted him to fight in the US, but the dates kept getting pushed back, so we had to put something in place,” he said.
This approach reflects the way Matchroom is handling Whittaker’s development, focusing on consistent work and four targeted fights this year instead of rushing him into high-risk matchups.
The result is a battle that fills the show, but does nothing to answer questions about his level.
A run at an opponent who is under the fight to “keep busy” at Liverpool is a risky move. If Whittaker shows boats against a guy who has no business being there, the backlash on social media will be vitriolic. Matchroom says it wants to build its US profile, but American fans are notoriously unforgiving of hype jobs that haven’t been put to the test.
Keeping him busy is one thing, but if his opponent on April 18 is another fighter of Benjamin Gavazi’s caliber, Matchroom may find they are actually undermining their new signing rather than building him up.
