EXCLUSIVE Ben Whittaker insists his showboating is NOT ‘disrespectful’ to his opponents, as the Olympic silver medallist reveals why he does it and says he has no intention of stopping to win over his critics

• Ben Whittaker has received criticism for his showboating since turning pro
• He insists he is not disrespecting his opponents and intends to keep doing it
• It’s the PERFECT time to face Anthony Joshua, Otto Wallin tells The Hook

Boxing is a sport full of intriguing personalities, but Ben Whittaker has found a way to stand out from the crowd. 

Less than 18 months into his professional career, Whittaker has certainly got fans talking about him.

In just five fights, he has already displayed the type of devastating knockout power that gets the crowd on the edge of their seats, but it is his showboating that has got tongues wagging. 

The 26-year-old has barely gone more than a minute inside the squared circle without looking away from his opponent or hopping around the ring.

His antics have split opinion. Some love the showmanship, but others have been critical, claiming Whittaker is ‘making a mockery of the sport’ by disrespecting his opponents.

Ben Whittaker has been accused of ‘making a mockery of the sport’ with his showboating

Whittaker has looked away from his opponents and hopped across the ring at them

The light-heavyweight prospect insists he is not disrespecting his opponents with his antics

Whittaker says he showboats to frustrate his opponents so they will walk onto shots like we saw this past weekend when he knocked out Stiven Dredhaj inside four rounds

But Whittaker has no regrets over his in-ring behaviour, revealing that it is all done with the purpose of gaining a psychological edge over his opponent, and he believes it worked to perfection in his latest outing last Sunday when he stopped Stiven Dredhaj in the fourth round with a vicious right hand-left hook combination.

He also admitted that he isn’t bothered about rubbing people up the wrong way with his ‘Marmite’ personality.

Speaking exclusively to Mail Sport, Whittaker said: ‘Everyone has got their own opinion, especially in a sport like this. Some people like it, some people won’t. 

‘But it’s just like any other style, brawlers have their own style, power punchers have their own style, that’s my style. And it’s not being disrespectful, it’s actually a way to get into the opponent’s mind, a way to annoy him, frustrate him and it allows him to walk onto a shot.

‘I don’t really mind (being disliked). As long as the people around me truly know I’ve been brought up well, I’ve got good manners and things like that, the people around me know that I’m doing the right job and as long as I’m winning and performing, that’s all that really matters. 

‘I don’t really mind being 50/50 like Marmite because I’d rather just be true to myself.’

One criticism levelled at Whittaker is that he is only doing the showboating due to being matched up with limited opposition.

But the Olympic silver medallist claims he did it throughout his amateur career, and intends to keep doing it as he moves through the ranks as a professional, although he concedes he will need to tone it down when he reaches the highest level as he will be less likely to get under the skin of his opponent.

Whittaker (left) won Olympic silver in Tokyo two years ago, and has claimed he has always showboated throughout his career to get under his opponent’s skin

 He feels he’s finding the right balance between showboating and finishing opponents in style

‘There will be a point in my career where the opponent will just see through it and it won’t work so I’ll have to just go to my real, true boxing,’ he said.

‘But at the moment it’s working, and even if you looked at some of my amateur fights, I was doing it at the Olympics, I was doing it at the World Championships, European Championships so I have been doing it, it’s just nobody has really seen it until Sky Sports have been posting it (on social media).’

Reflecting on Sunday’s performance, he added: ‘At the end of the day no fans want to see somebody that’s hopping around on one leg thinking “what’s this idiot doing?” But I’m doing it now because I can, because I’m enjoying it, I’ve only got one career.

‘But there’s a time and a place and you’re seeing at certain stages, I took my time, really switched on, got serious and every time I hit the kid he was wobbling all over the place. 

‘It shows I can really pack a punch, and when I’m ready to switch on I can turn somebody’s lights out real quick.

‘Certain people think all I can do is showboat and then when I come out and start walking them down with a tight guard they think “what’s going on here?” So I’ll definitely keep it, but keep it for when it needs to work.’

Whittaker’s behaviour has seen him compared to Naseem Hamed, and the light-heavyweight prospect wore the leopard-print shorts and robe Hamed made famous for his win against Jordan Grant in May.

Whittaker wore the leopard-print shorts Naseem Hamed made famous for his fight in May

Whittaker says he never watched Hamed fight and wants to be his ‘own man’ rather than be compared to the British boxing legend

So, does Whittaker like the comparison?

‘Yeah and no,’ he replied cryptically. ‘Yeah, because he was a British legend. He did great things for the sport, world champion and I’m good friends with his sons.

‘But I’m my own man. I don’t like the comparisons where people say I’m trying to be like him because I actually never watched him if I’m being honest. I only did the tribute for the shorts and the robe because I signed with Adidas and I thought it just makes sense. That’s the only thing I don’t like. 

‘But at the other end, everyone is classing me as Nas Hamed, he was one of the best to ever do it from the country so it’s kind of one of those, you can’t really complain.’

Whittaker has dazzled in his short professional career to date, but has been frustrated by niggling injuries that restricted him to just three fights in 2023.

He is determined to make up for lost time next year, and is already eyeing a potential showdown with the winner of Joshua Buatsi’s domestic clash with Dan Azeez on February 3, as he sets his sights on breaking onto the world stage over the next 12 months.

Whittaker wants to move onto the world stage in 2024, and will be keeping a close eye on the domestic clash between Joshua Buatsi (left) and Dan Azeez (right)

‘Twelve months’ time, I definitely think I’ll have a belt of some sort’ he said.

‘I’ll be chasing the big names in the British scene or if not internationally. I’ll be the man that will really be on the heels of the Buatsis and people like that.

‘It’s my weight category, they’re at the top, especially in the British scene so people like myself, that’s who we’re gunning for. 

‘The motto I keep saying is “we’re looking up, not down”, and they’re the ones who are at the top right now so we’re definitely looking up towards those. And you want the winner, not the loser.’

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