Ezra Arenyeka gets his wish to fight Ben Whittaker next
Light heavyweight prospect Ezra Arenyeka (12-0, 10 KOs) invites Ben Whittaker (7-0, 5 KOs) to showboat when they clash on a BOXXER card at Selhurst Park – the home of Crystal Palace FC.
The 28-year-old threw down his gauntlet at the press conference of Whittaker’s last fight on May 31, confronting his rival during the Sky Sports live stream.
Now, the pair will collide on the undercard of Chris Billam-Smith vs Richard Riakhporhe, who headline the show in a stadium fight for the WBO world cruiserweight title on June 15.
On Sky Sports, Arenyeka said: “He’s a great Olympian; he’s a great boxer, but I don’t think he’s a great professional fighter. There’s a difference.
“He’s fought guys that are scared of him, with too much respect. It’s going to be different; it’s going to be relentless work from me.
“I can show you my first fight [as an amateur] – I was showboating. Everyone can do it, but over time, as a fighter, you learn how to become a professional.
“He can try [showboating] on me, but it’s going to look silly. Can he go into the deep waters? He doesn’t like being there – I know that for a fact. He likes it easy.”
Whittaker’s antics in the ring have largely divided opinion, with critics suggesting that his showboating is disrespectful to his more limited opponents.
Regardless, the 26-year-old has carved a name for himself in the sport, both as a dazzling showman and a skilful operator with plenty of potential.
Since winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Whittaker has breezed past every opponent with relative ease.
Despite being undefeated, Arenyeka’s calibre of opposition is levels below the elite amateurs that Whittaker came up against several years ago, indicating that the build-up could be more explosive than the fight itself.