Considering his penchant for entertaining and for showboating, together with his aptitude for boxing, it was, perhaps, only a matter of time before someone, somewhere, compared Benjamin Whittaker — one of Britain’s most exciting new-gen talents — to legendary puncher Prince Naseem Hamed.
And it was also, likely, only a question of when Naz himself would hear about it, and get annoyed.
This was, after all, an ex-pro who had seen enough very early on in Chris Eubank Jr.’s career to say, live on ITV, that the super middleweight should just give up. I don’t think Hamed was ever inviting back to ITV. They likely locked the doors but, really, they should have given Prince Naseem the keys to the entire business.
Many moons have passed since that viral moment. And while the seasons have changed and years have progressed, Hamed still seems the same as he always was. Telling it like it is, in a way that only Hamed knows how.
“We are far, far apart in ability — and the world knows that,” Prince Naseem said of Whittaker.
“I’m not talking about him … he doesn’t deserve my voice about him.”
It’s true that Whittaker is an incredibly polarizing figure.
For many, the in-ring theatrics are unnecessary, especially if you’re not putting your opponents away.
Whittaker, in his last fight, did put Braian Nahuel Suarez away in the very first round, though, to advance his pro record to 11-0-1 (8 KOs) and provide him and Matchroom with a highlight-reel knockout they can use to market him Stateside when Whittaker makes his long-awaited US debut in the coming months.
It’s long been reported that Whittaker’s next fight could land on June 27 in an undercard spot on the Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis vs Xander Zayas card. It remains to be seen against whom he fights.
