Ben Whittaker discusses showboating, sparring with Joshua Buatsi and his test of patience
Ben Whittaker on his sparring sessions against Joshua Buatsi: "anyone would have paid good money to see them"; Whittaker fights on the undercard of Savannah Marshall's undisputed title fight against Franchon Crews-Dezurn, live on Sky Sports from 7pm
Saturday 1 July 2023 21:58, UK
Ben Whittaker chased the spotlight until the spotlight chased him back. He was born to be the showman and built to command a stage, discriminating against no platform to shine in his search of a tailor-made spectacle. Boxing became exactly that.
With Olympic pedigree and a cocktail of tricks comes the will and ability to ignite, provoke and dictate a crowd, teasing the fundamentals to any blueprint for moulding a superstar.
He leaves a lasting impression. He always has done.
"I think this has been me since a kid, at school I always used to try and be the one to stand out," Whittaker tells Sky Sports.
"I ended up being the classroom clown, I'd always try and put myself in the limelight. I just think since a kid I've wanted to be the frontrunner no matter what I do.
- Whittaker for I'm a Celeb? Getting to know Ben in 10...
- Simpson: I'm bringing a title fight to Barnsley!
- Watch Sky Sports boxing on NOW
"Even in football, I was terrible but I tried to make sure I was the best, I got the best boots, I put tape on my socks and wrists to make it look like I knew what I was doing, but I had two left feet.
"Boxing fell at my feet, I was good at it and just kept running ever since."
Shimmies and shakes become cleverly-disguised ploys to switch up his angle, wind-milling wind-ups become unorthodox feints, hops on one leg and lowered arms become luring traps, the upright posture - alluded to by SugarHill Steward on Friday as he joked Whittaker looked like he had grown - becomes a veil for his next movement.
Jordan Grant endured a heavy dose of The Surgeon's tool kit during his stoppage defeat to Whittaker in May, watching on as his opponent swivelled to address friends, fans and rivals ringside before delivering a crushing final blow.
It takes something out of the ordinary to engage, entice and even divide boxing's fanbase as early as three fights into one's career; Whittaker is out of the ordinary, and he doesn't mind splitting opinion in the process.
Live Fight Night
"It's one of those things, I hear a lot of people say it's disrespectful and things like that, but after the fight I talk to my opponent, congratulate them," Whittaker adds.
"But at the end of the day it's showbusiness, it's entertainment and I try to put a show on for the fans paying the money. I know I can do both, I know I can showboat, I can switch on when I need to but the thing is I'm still getting the win and that's all that matters.
"Everybody has got an opinion and you just have to take that on board. As long as I'm doing what I'm supposed to do and win that's all that matters."
He recalls listening to former Team GB captain Frazer Clarke earlier this week as he described the luxury of trusting in the Olympic silver medallist to rein in the entertainer where necessary.
The most gifted and decorated operators in boxing have been able to transition seamlessly between marketable rockstar and gym rat-meets-boxing junkie; the similar traits are there in Whittaker.
"I watched Frazer's little piece on me and it was quite good, he was speaking some facts," says Whittaker. "It's true, people just see what I'm doing now and think 'he won't go far if he's just doing this showboating'.
"But you don't get silver at the Olympics or all these European golds doing that before, so I'm obviously doing something right.
"I know how to switch on, I know if I need to I can stand there and bang and grit it out, but there's no need to do that now, I'm looking pretty doing it and want to stay pretty doing it."
"The good thing is I can switch it if I need to, I can come out disciplined, I can back an opponent up, box off the back foot or look around the crowd and have some fun. If you can do all three you're doing well."
Whittaker faces Vladimir Belujsky in his fourth professional fight on Saturday night as he strives to make ground on the leading pack of the light-heavyweight division.
Among those towards the top of the tree is fellow Olympian Joshua Buatsi, to whom Whittaker is no stranger following some gruelling rounds together in the gym. One day.
"They were great sparring sessions, anyone there would have paid good money for them," said Whittaker.
"I'm a pretty boxer but there were times when I stood there and showed I can fight. Buatsi will tell you himself I can.
"I helped him out with his Olympics, he got bronze, he came back and helped me get silver so there's great respect there.
"Truthfully with the skillset I have and the work ethic I've got I could get in there tomorrow (with Buatsi), but this is a business, you've got to build your profile, have the right advice at the right time.
"Me compared to these guys I'm still young, so I just want to get the fights in, get the rounds under the belt and pick them off slowly."
Buatsi, who made his return to the ring with a win over Pawel Stepian in May, has been strongly linked to a clash with domestic friend and rival Dan Azeez.
"Good fight, all-British fight, I know they're good friends but they'll put that aside if it does happen," he said. "I'm leaning towards Buatsi for the simple fact of what he's done amateur and professional wise but you can't write Azeez off."
In the meantime it is a game of patience for the glowing potential of Whittaker, who acknowledges the task of building his resume and putting himself in a position to challenge those above him.
"I think the professional game is one of those things, if you rush it a good prospect can start losing or not look as good," he admitted.
"For me it's finding that middle ground and sometimes people are saying these fights are too easy, but don't worry about that, I'm working in the gym, sparring great people and learning, so when those defining fights come I've got it in the bank."
Watch Savannah Marshall take on Franchon Crews-Dezurn for the undisputed super-middleweight title in Saturday's main event in Manchester live on Sky Sports from 7pm.
