Promoter Hearn plots Whittaker world title route via US debut
Unbeaten British light-heavyweight Ben Whittaker makes his US debut this weekend, kicking off a three-fight commercial strategy by promoter Eddie Hearn designed to build a lucrative European pay-per-view clash against Joshua Buatsi.
Ben Whittaker faces Richard Rivera in New York in the early hours of Sunday morning, appearing on the undercard of the Jaron Ennis versus Xander Zayas fight. The bout marks the unbeaten British contender's first fight in the US market.
For Hearn, the Rivera fight is the first step in a calculated three-fight roadmap to position Whittaker for a world championship. "Against those guys, probably another three fights," Hearn said, referring to the division's elite champions. "So we've got Saturday night, and Whittaker will headline in October against a big domestic name, and then one more, and then he'll be ready for anybody in the division."
That October headline slot is expected to feature Joshua Buatsi, a matchup with significant commercial value for European broadcasters like Sky Sports. Whittaker confirmed the ranking logic of the pairing. "I think me and Buatsi are kind of close," Whittaker said. "I think we're two and three in the WBC, so something like that could happen."
Scotland's Willy Hutchinson remains another viable domestic draw for the European market. "And Willy, I've beaten him before in the amateurs, so it'd be good to get another win over him in the pros," Whittaker said. "But for me, it's whoever's next, whoever makes sense, whoever's going to get me to where I need to get to."
The ultimate commercial prize for Whittaker lies across the Atlantic. Dmitry Bivol, who holds the WBA, WBO and IBF belts, returned with a points win over Michael Eifert last month. WBC champion David Benavidez recently moved up to cruiserweight to defeat Gilberto Ramirez. "Whoever's got the most belts and whoever's got the most money," Whittaker said. "But as of now, Benavidez has gone up to cruiserweight, so if you had to say someone, Bivol, of course, he's got the most belts as well. But I think the fight that would make a lot of money - the way it's going - is me versus Benavidez."
Hearn's broader scheduling strategy relies on keeping European fighters on domestic broadcast schedules. Following this weekend's New York card, Sky Sports will air a major Birmingham event on August 29, headlined by Mikaela Mayer against Chantelle Cameron. In the main event this weekend, Hearn wants Ennis to dominate Zayas to set up a unification bout against European fighters like IBF champion Josh Kelly or Sebastian Fundora. "He'll try and be undisputed," Hearn said of Ennis. "Then he'll move to 160 [lbs]. Then I think he'll move to 168[lbs]."
