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Ben Whittaker reveals key reason he left BOXXER to join Matchroom
Ben Whittaker has spoken out on why he decided to switch promoters ahead of his Matchroom debut next month.
The Olympic silver medallist had been promoted by BOXXER since turning professional in 2022, but he has now opted to move over to Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom and will top the bill in a light heavyweight contest against Benjamin Gavazi in Birmingham on November 29, live on DAZN.
Reflecting on why he made the difficult call, Whittaker revealed that his lack of activity with BOXXER convinced him to jump ship.
“Things were happening in the sport and I just wanted activity,” Whittaker told The Ring. “But of course it went a bit quiet, so I was gutted.
“Activity is key, elsewhere they couldn’t really do a lot of fights but for me it’s about getting active. I think when you get into that later part of your career where it's like world titles or contending for a world title your career will slow down.
“Whereas this year I've only had one fight, you're not going to learn like that. So, for me Matchroom put down a plan where I can do 3-4 fights a year and that's what I needed.”
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Whittaker has not fought since he beat Liam Cameron inside two rounds in their rematch back in April.
Following over six months out of the ring, Whittaker is keen to make up for lost time, but insists he holds no animosity towards BOXXER after the split.
“The way things were going: ‘When am I going to fight? Who am I gonna fight?’ It was just all over the place,” Whittaker explained.
“What [BOXXER] have done for me is great, and I’ll say that to everybody – they helped me out, got me into a great position. At the end of the day, it’s just business. You can’t take things personal, but I think we knew, down the line, me and Eddie and Frank Smith would happen, and we’re here now.”
Whittaker has split public opinion due to his flamboyant style in the ring, with some left unimpressed by his showboating antics.
He has developed a significant following on social media as a result, but is adamant he will prove he has the substance to match his style now that he has joined forces with Matchroom.
“I'm not here just for numbers, I'm here to try and make better fights, I'm here to try and get my ranking right, I'm here to try and divert my career into the right way,” Whittaker added.
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