“Fuming” Over Commentary, Ben Whittaker Hints at Being a Free Agent

Rising boxing star Ben Whittaker, known for his flashy footwork and in-ring showmanship, got a reality check on Sunday night. His latest opponent, Leon Willings, stepped in on short notice and surprised everyone with his grit and determination to put up a fight. Willings ate Whittaker’s early punches and weathered the storm of the first round, which ended with Whittaker dancing around him in a show of dominance.

But the second round was a different story. Willings landed some solid blows, leaving Whittaker with a look of disbelief on his face. Throughout the fight, Willings displayed surprising resilience, forcing Whittaker to fight for his flashy victory. The judges ultimately awarded Whittaker a points win, but it wasn’t the one-sided display he might have expected. Moreover, during the fight, there was another thing that wasn’t in Whittaker’s favor: Commentary.

The clock is ticking….

Many people still need time to get to terms with Ben Whittaker’s unorthodox style of boxing. Whittaker breaks out into a jig in between throwing punches, and there have been times when he’s got into the bad books of the referee for his eccentricity inside the ring. Moreover, in his latest fight, the commentators criticized the boxing prowess of the UK’s home-grown talent which didn’t seem to sit well with certain individuals in the boxing community.

The former flyweight champion Sunny Edwards giving his two cents on the situation. He implied that Whitaker might part ways with his current promotion and become a free agent if they aren’t able to provide him the respect he deserves. Edwards wrote, “If I was Ben Whittaker I’d be fuming at this commentary, as the home fighter I’ve never seen a panel so ready to slaughter the fighter they are investing in.”

Whittaker is currently signed with Boxxer, a promotional company he signed a long-term deal with in 2022.

Whitaker provided a cryptic response as he responded to the tweet with a clock emoji. In the meantime, Whitaker’s promoter vouched for his boxing prowess, stating that he is one of the rising stars of modern-day boxing.

Promoter Ben Shalom has a lot of belief in Ben Whittaker

Boxing’s new darling, Ben Whittaker, is a walking highlight reel. Despite all the criticism regarding his showboating style of boxing, his promoter Ben Shalom remains undeterred.

Read More: “No One Else Was in My Mind”: Despite His Recent Loss, Sunny Edwards Shows Unwavering Spirit as He Calls Out 11X World Champion for Showdown

Interestingly, back in February, during Ben Whittaker’s bout against Khalid Graidia, his 360-degree spin while taunting his opponent annoyed the referee Sean McAvoy. So much so that McAvoy put a halt to the fight and called Whittaker to one corner of the ring. Then he asked him to stop with his antics and focus on the fight.

Speaking on The MMA Hour, Shalom came to Whitaker’s defense, “With anyone else, I would say yes [it might change them], but I promise you he was warned by this referee and I think the referee was way over the top last time. Remember, I think it was the first time the U.S. audience were seeing him. There was some sort of, ‘We’ve got to stop this type thing.’ The referee went to see him beforehand and it didn’t stop him last time. It’s how he fights. It’s how he [unsettles] his opponent.”

As it turns out, Shalom is not much concerned about McAvoy’s statements, and wants Whittaker to be himself, and that too unapologetically. Not only this, he mentioned how he sees Whittaker becoming the new face of boxing. He added, “He’s an absolute showman. He’s a superstar. Peacock and NBC are going absolutely crazy for him. He did 100 million views across platforms on his last fight. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

So, there’s a lot of potential for Whitaker’s showboating, at least when it comes to doing business. What do you think about the in-ring antics of this rising star? Tell us in the comments section.

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