Lightweight heavyweight contender Ben Whittaker, a 2020 Olympic silver medalist for Great Britain, made his Matchroom Boxing debut on Saturday night at The NEC in Birmingham, England, and as expected, he put on a show. Whittaker(10-0-1, 7 KOs) easily defeated Benjamin Gavazi(19-2, 13 KOs) by first-round knockout.
The 28-year-old Whittaker landed a vicious combination to end the fight.
The night was truly exciting for Whittaker, and his ring walk, led by UK rap legend Dizzee Rascal, filled fans with pride and anticipation, culminating in a great knockout that showcased his talent
“I want to thank my lord and savior, Jesus Christ; I want to thank everyone for coming out, buying the tickets, and making this night special,” he said. “When you walk out pretty like that, you’ve got to back it up. And I did.’
Whittaker felt he showed the fans something special on Saturday night.
“He [Benjamin Gavazi] was a game kid, 20 fights, he only lost one,” Whittaker said. “He came to change his life but like I said, I showed something special, and I showed why I’m different. You don’t get Olympic medals by hopping around on one foot. I can do it all.”
Whittaker’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, suggests that exciting opportunities in America are on the horizon, sparking hope and confidence among fans about his promising future.
“We don’t want to take him to America too much, but America is crying out for Ben Whittaker,” Hearn said.
Like fellow Brit Prince Naseem Hamed, who took America by storm in the late 90s, Whittaker is a showman, but none of that works if he’s not winning. For now, let’s enjoy the show.
In other action:
In the co-main event, Tom Cowling overcame Aaron Bowen by split decision (93-96, 95-94, 95-94) to win the Midlands Area Middleweight title.
Cameron Vuong and Gavin Gwynne couldn’t be separated as they fought to a majority draw after a bruising and breathtaking 10-round encounter.
Molly McCann is now 2-0 as a professional boxer as the former MMA icon delivered a spirited display to defeat a lively, and tough, Ebonie Cotton in the opening fight on the main card.
In the Prelims, Ibraheem Sulaimaan celebrated his first ever title triumph as he defeated Nico Ogbeide on points to claim the Midlands Area Super Featherweight belt.
Zelfa Barrett made it three wins in a row following his last Matchroom appearance, when he fell to points defeat by Jazza Dickens back in February, as he overcame Liam Dillon in a hard-fought points win.
And Alfie Middlemiss was impressive as he beat Nicaragua’s Engel Gomez in a convincing points victory.
Photo: Matchroom Boxing/Mark Robinson,
Leave a Reply