Tim Bradley says he views Ben Whittaker as “idiot’s gold” ahead of his Matchroom debut against Benjamin Gavazi on November twenty ninth. He states that Whittaker (9-0-1, 6 KOs) lacks “fundamentals” and may’t see him beating “no one in the highest 10” at 175.
(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
Whittaker’s fight against Gavazi (19-1, 13 KOs) goes to present an indicator of whether he’s going to pan out as a professional. The 2 are headlining on DAZN on November twenty ninth in a 10-round bout for the WBC Silver light heavyweight title on the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England.
No Faith in Whittaker’s Fundamentals
Promoter Eddie Hearn recently signed the 2020 Olympic silver medalist Whittaker to a long-term contract with Matchroom, labeling him a “generational talent.” Boxing analyst Bradley disagrees and says he believes even Hamzah Sheeraz would beat him. He doesn’t imagine that Whittaker’s junk variety of “clowning around” contained in the ring will work against top-10 level fighters at 175. To this point, you may’t disagree with Bradley.
Tim mentions that Whittaker looked like he was able to quit in his first fight against Liam Cameron on October 12, 2024. When Ben did not rating a fast knockout in that fight, he began to crumble under the pressure from Cameron within the fifth round.
“As for Ben Whittaker, I’m cutthroat. I believe he’s idiot’s gold. I actually think [Hamzah] Sheeraz would beat him,” said analyst Tim Bradley on his channel, giving his thoughts on light heavyweight contender Ben Whittaker.
Whittaker’s Mental Fragility Exposed
Bradley is clearly basing much of his opinion on how Whittaker mentally crumbled when being relentlessly attacked by Cameron of their first bout. I can understand why Tim would see Whittsaker as “idiot’s gold” after watching that fight. That wasn’t even against a top-tier contender.
Although Ben knocked out Cameron within the second round of their rematch on April 20 this yr, you continue to need to query whether we might have seen the same breakdown if the competition had gone into the later rounds.
Because the saying goes, ‘coming events solid their shadows before.’ Whittaker has already shown that he can’t handle pressure from fighters walking him down. Predictably, he’ll rapidly disintegrate when he faces a pressure fighter that ignores his junk style and keeps attacking him.
“They’re [Matchroom] attempting to move him quickly because he’s 28 years old. It’s not old. He’s facing a man [Benjamin Gavazi] with double the quantity of fights that he has, a man that’s gritty,” said Bradley about Whittaker.
Matchroom’s Dangerous Investment
Matchroom has no alternative but to maneuver Whittaker quickly. He turns 29 next yr, and so they’ve got to push him much faster than they’d a younger fighter in the event that they need to benefit from his youth. If Whittaker can’t handle being hurried, he’ll fail. It could be interesting to know if Matchroom has an early release escape clause in its contract with Whittaker if he doesn’t pan out.
“The rationale I believe he’s idiot’s gold…He has all these moves, but he’s never going to make it to the large leagues. If Ben can’t knock this guy out early, it could get difficult for him. I don’t see him beating no one at 175 lbs, no one in the highest 10,” said Bradley about Whittaker.
Based on Whittaker’s performance in his first fight with Cameron, I don’t see him beating any of those light heavyweight contenders:
- David Morrell
- Arlen Lopez
- Anthony Yarde
- Imam Khataev
- Artur Beterbiev
- Oleksandr Gvozdyk
Since 2015, Olly Campbell has brought readers a transparent ringside perspective and a gradual voice on boxing’s biggest nights.
Last Updated on 10/17/2025