Boxing News: Ben Whittaker’s pro debut has been rescheduled

Posted at: June 28, 2022

Boxing News: Ben Whittaker, who won an Olympic silver medal in Tokyo last year, will make his professional debut on July 30.

Whittaker was scheduled to make his pro debut on July 2, but the event was cancelled after headliner Hughie Fury was ruled out due to illness. Whittaker, a rising star after an impressive Olympic campaign, will now box on July 30.

“I think there is a lot of expectation around Ben Whittaker, and I think for the right reasons, and we’re going to see that,” Whittaker’s promoter Ben-Shalom told Sky Sports News.

“He’s incredibly excited, he’ll be starting at light-heavyweight and he’ll want to move quickly as well.”

“He will now be out on July 30,” Shalom added. “Seeing SugarHill [Steward, his trainer] and Ben working together – that is something to behold for boxing fans. It’s something I know so many people are excited about.

“They’re going to put on a show.”

Whittaker was a member of Great Britain’s most successful Olympic boxing team in a century in Tokyo. Frazer Clarke and Caroline Dubois, two of his former teammates from that squad, will join him on the roster in July.

Clarke, the Tokyo super-heavyweight bronze medalist, has been recovering from a hand injury and is set to fight for the second time on July 30. Dubois will compete in her third fight of the year on the same card.

“Frazer will be on that show as well,” BOXXER promoter Shalom said. “He’s back now, back in training and ready to fight.

“So it’s a big card on July 30 with Ben Whittaker’s debut, Caroline Dubois will be out as well.

“It’s exciting now because you’re starting to see the new stars of the future,” Shalom continued. “Now with Ben Whittaker, with Adam Azim, with Frazer Clarke, with Lauren Price, with Karriss (Artingstall), Caroline (Dubois), you can see where we could get to in the next few years and that’s what’s exciting.

“To see them all come through together will be amazing.”

Chris Eubank Jr. sees Liam Smith as the “ideal opponent.”

Chris Eubank Jr’s next fight is set to be another major event.

Wasserman Boxing promotes Eubank, who fights on Sky Sports. According to Ben Shalom, the experienced former WBO super-welterweight champion Liam Smith is the ideal next opponent for Eubank Jr.

“For me the perfect fight is Liam Smith. I think that’s the fight the fans are calling for. I think that’s a fight fans are potentially seeing as a 50-50,” Shalom said.

“Liam Smith’s almost peaking now. He’s had two great wins [against Anthony Fowler and then Jesse Vargas]. He looks like he’s in really, really good form, he’s willing to come up and fight Chris at middleweight. So that seems like a great fight.”

Priyanka Suriyal

I am a sports reporter and broadcaster, because of my skills as a writer. My writing has been praised by many and has helped me to establish a career in this field.