Ben Whittaker’s long flirtation with Eddie Hearn is over — the Midlands showman finally inked a long-term deal with Matchroom Boxing, fighting exclusively on DAZN. After years of “maybe next time,” the 2020 Olympic silver medallist has officially joined the biggest stage in British boxing, and the move feels overdue.
On Friday, October 17, Whittaker will get the full Matchroom red carpet (well, metaphorically — no one’s literally rolling it out) with Eddie Hearn and company hosting a press conference in London. Expect big talk, bigger suits, and Whittaker leaning into the star power he’s been teasing since Tokyo.
A Fresh Start For Britain’s Flashiest Talent
“I came close to signing before, but I’m here now — and that’s the main thing,” Whittaker said. “I think things happen for a reason. I’m at the right stage in my career now to pick the right platform and go for the right fights. From Olympic medals to early pro wins, I’m ready for the next step and this feels like a fresh start.”
He’s unbeaten at 9-0-1 with six stoppages but admits his early pro run hasn’t been smooth sailing. Now, under former world champion Andy Lee’s guidance, he’s looking to reset and climb the light heavyweight ladder. “With Eddie and Matchroom, I’ll become a household name and one day a world champion,” Whittaker promised. “I’m ranked well with the IBF and WBC, and I believe Matchroom will help navigate my path towards winning those belts at the right time.”
Hearn Calls It One Of His Best Ever Deals
Eddie Hearn didn’t hold back. “He is phenomenal. This is the greatest signing to make in boxing today. Ben Whittaker is a generational talent and we’re ready to take his career to a whole new level,” Hearn said. “This long-term deal will propel Ben to global superstardom and towards world titles. He’s got the world at his feet.”
Matchroom CEO Frank Smith doubled down: “It’s a game changer. I have no doubt Ben will become a world champion. We’ll promote him the way he deserves — and the way British boxing deserves too. He’s a future legend.”
Finally. Whittaker’s always had the flash, the dance moves, the social media hype — but his pro career’s been messy. Injuries, odd matchmaking, and a little too much style over substance at times. Signing with Matchroom fixes the platform issue: DAZN cameras, Eddie’s matchmaking machine, big nights in the UK and beyond. Now it’s sink or swim.
if Ben stays healthy and stops clowning mid-fight, he’s got legit world title upside at 175. But the light heavyweight sharks — Bivol, Beterbiev (if he sticks around), Buatsi — don’t care about TikTok swagger. This deal sets him up, but it’s on him now to deliver more than highlight reels.
This guy better stop clowning around mid-fight if he serious bout being champ 🥊 All that dancing and posing gonna get him knocked out when real fighters step up against him!
I don’t get why everyone act like this is such a ‘game changer’. Ain’t nobody care about DAZN unless it’s Canelo or AJ fighting 🤷♀️ They need to stop acting like it’s bigger than it is.
I seen all his fights and honestly he ain’t been tested proper yet 😕 Signing deals don’t mean nothing unless you beat top names in your weight class.
You right, them early fights was weak opponents, more like sparring sessions than real matches 👎🏽.
But now with Matchroom, maybe they give him harder fights and then we see the truth!
I think people just jealous of his confidence 💅🏽 He talks big cause he knows what he can do! He went Olympic level, y’all acting like that ain’t nothing 🙄 Give him some respect already!
‘He got the world at his feet’ yeah right 😂… Let him fight Beterbiev then and we’ll see how fast that world disappear. This kid ain’t ready for them killers at light heavy.
‘Generational talent’? Please… That’s just marketing talk to sell DAZN subscriptions 📺.
To be fair, he still learning as pro so maybe it’s too early to throw him in deep end yet.
This whole deal just feel like hype to me. I seen better fighters get less attention just cause they not flashy on social media like Ben is 🙄. That ain’t fair to real boxers who grind hard.
Ben always acting like a big star but hasn’t fought nobody good yet 😤. Now they act like he gonna be champ overnight just cause he signed with Matchroom? That’s not how boxing works.
Exactly! He needs to stop dancing around and actually prove himself in the ring before talking big.
Matchroom got power tho bro, they can line up big fights and maybe now we’ll see what Ben really made of 💪.
I don’t see what all the fuss is about. Ben Whittaker hasn’t done anything special yet. He’s been showboating more than fighting real contenders. Just signing with Matchroom don’t make you great.
Totally agree! Just cause Eddie Hearn say he’s good don’t mean it’s true. They say that about every fighter they sign 🤷♂️.
Y’all forgetting he got a silver medal at the Olympics. That don’t happen by accident. Give him a chance with this new team before judging.