Benjamin Whittaker makes his American debut on a massive stage June 27 at the Barclays Center in New York, ahead of the blockbuster super welterweight bout between the unified champion Xander Zayas and challenger Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
For Whittaker, it’s a chance to take his showboating brand of boxing entertainment to a new market, having polarized opinion in his home country, Britain, through the years, before signing terms with Matchroom and its chairman, Eddie Hearn.
However, his opponent, Richard Rivera, is unimpressed with the Olympic silver medalist’s rise and is hoping to use the opportunity to show fight fans that Whittaker has been overhyped and is overrated as a result.
A 29-fight veteran with 20 knockouts from 27 wins against two losses, Rivera has built his career without the fanfaranade of Whittaker but has still gained experience from sharing the ring with the likes of Badou Jack, among others.
“The British are coming, the British are coming!” he said, in a statement sent to Boxing Social.
“If Ben thinks he is going to my backyard to make a statement, history will repeat itself. I’m not gonna need a can of spinach for this fight,” he added.
“Ben might have the boxing world fooled, but I’m not convinced.”
— Richard Rivera on Ben Whittaker
“I am really excited to make my American debut in the Big Apple on such a big card,” Whittaker said.
“I’ve got a lot of love for the American fans, and we’ve developed a great relationship over recent years, so I can’t wait to get out there and put on a spectacular performance for them.”
The event airs on DAZN.
