British light-heavyweight contender Ben Whittaker will make his United States boxing debut against American opponent Richard Rivera on Sunday, June 28, 2026, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The 29-year-old Olympic silver medalist features on the undercard of the unified super-welterweight championship bout between Xander Zayas and Jaron Ennis.
Whittaker, who holds an unbeaten professional record with eight of his 11 victories coming inside the distance, seeks to expand his international fanbase.
Promoter Eddie Hearn indicated that the fighter, nicknamed 'The Surgeon,' is currently three bouts away from challenging elite world title holders in the light-heavyweight division.
Whittaker's Path to the Top
According to BBC Sport, Whittaker is highly ranked by major sanctioning bodies, occupying the second or third position in both the WBC and IBF standings.
His opponent, the 35-year-old Rivera, carries a record of 27 wins out of 29 bouts with a 74 percent knockout ratio but has been inactive for the past 17 months.
Whittaker expressed that his childhood exposure to American athletes and media established his long-term goal of competing in prominent United States venues.
"I woke up and watched the big Mayweather fights when I was a kid.
I think the first one was Mayweather against Oscar de la Hoya [in 2007] and of course the Ricky Hatton fight," said Whittaker.
"I was like, 'Man, this looks crazy. I want to be involved in something like that'.
Going into my first fight in America will be the start of that, hopefully."
Whittaker further stated that his progression into the American market represents a calculated advancement for his career trajectory.
"I call it baby steps. You start in New York, finish in Vegas," said Whittaker.
The boxer noted his prior personal visits to New York and his connection to the regional entertainment history, specifically referencing the television series Everybody Hates Chris.
"I'd say if New York means anything to me, it means Everybody Hates Chris," said Whittaker.
He recalled watching the comedy program during his youth, which heavily featured the Brooklyn locality where he is scheduled to fight.
Whittaker also cited the regional fashion trends and the existing digital engagement from his social media followers as factors that align with his presentation.
"The fashion is big there, too. Weirdly, I've been connected to New York a lot of my life, really.
I've been out there five, six times.
I get a lot of love out there, so it's going to be a good one," said Whittaker.
He emphasized that transforming digital support into physical ticket sales remains a primary objective for his international appearances.
"I've got a lot of fans over there from my Instagram and TikTok," said Whittaker.
The boxer aims to deliver a performance that secures a recurring audience in the United States.
"But having fans actually come to your fight is different and you want to go out there and make them want to come and see you again," said Whittaker.
Whittaker outlined the specific elements that he believes resonate directly with the sports viewership in America.
"I think American fans like three things: they like pure boxing, they like entertainment, and they like a real fight," said Whittaker.
He maintained that his style encompasses all three attributes, allowing him flexibility during his performances.
"I can bring all three of those. It just depends which one I want to do," said Whittaker.
The fighter dismissed the need to alter his approach, focusing purely on securing victories to advance his career goals.
"It's just about being myself, having fun and winning. I don't need to force it," said Whittaker.
He viewed the upcoming contest against Rivera as a mandatory hurdle to clear before moving toward championship opportunities.
"Each win gets me closer to what I want to achieve. So, just get rid of this guy and move on," said Whittaker.
Whittaker addressed his rapid ascent within the global sanctioning bodies despite having a relatively low number of professional appearances.
"I looked at the rankings the other day, and I think I'm second or third with the IBF, second or third with the WBC," said Whittaker.
He expressed satisfaction with his current statistical position in the light-heavyweight division.
"In that many fights to be there, I'm in a good position to be fair," said Whittaker.
Whittaker affirmed his focus remains on maintaining his undefeated status by preparing for every match with identical gravity.
"For me, it's just about keeping winning, treating each fight as a world title, and we'll get there eventually," said Whittaker.
The fighter also revealed that his previous musical endeavors under the pseudonym Benzo have been suspended due to domestic preferences.
"I'd like to be doing some music, but my missus says she gets cringed out, so I've stopped for a little bit," said Whittaker.
He indicated that sports preparation takes full precedence over music production for the foreseeable future.
"It's all good and well doing it, but I have to go home to her.
She won't be making dinner if I start rapping, so maybe down the line I'll get back to it.
For now, she's the boss," said Whittaker.
Domestic Matchups and Future Plans
In a separate interview detailed by Sky Sports, Whittaker discussed potential future domestic matchups against British contenders Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson.
"I think me and Buatsi are kind of close," said Whittaker.
He pointed out their adjacent positioning within the global sanctioning rankings as a catalyst for a high-profile matchup.
"I think we're two and three in the WBC [rankings], so something like that could happen," said Whittaker.
Whittaker also recalled his previous encounters with Hutchinson during their respective amateur careers.
"And Willy, I've beaten him before in the amateurs, so it'd be good to get another win over him in the pros," said Whittaker.
He reiterated his openness to face any opponent that optimizes his path toward a world title opportunity.
"But for me, it's whoever's next, whoever makes sense, whoever's going to get me to where I need to get to," said Whittaker.
When questioned about his preferred world champion opponent between current title holders Dmitry Bivol and David Benavidez, Whittaker prioritized financial returns and belt accumulation.
"Whoever's got the most belts and whoever's got the most money," said Whittaker.
He analyzed the movement of fighters between weight classes, specifically noting Benavidez's transition to the cruiserweight division.
"But as of now, Benavidez has gone up to cruiserweight, so if you had to say someone, Bivol, of course, he's got the most belts as well.
But I think the fight that would make a lot of money - the way it's going - is me versus Benavidez," said Whittaker.
Whittaker also responded to public call-outs from fellow London boxer Zak Chelli regarding historical sparring sessions.
"They all call me out, they all call me out, but all I'm going to say is, when we were kids, who got picked for the Commonwealth [Games]?
Your man, himself," said Whittaker.
He highlighted his consistent selection over domestic peers for major international tournaments throughout his career.
"Who got picked for Team GB over him? Your man, himself," said Whittaker.
The Olympic silver medalist emphasized that his selection history and competitive achievements validate his position.
"Who went to the Olympics over me or him? Your man, himself.
So, all I got to say is, results don't lie, baby," said Whittaker.
He concluded that the domestic call-outs would not distract him from his current trajectory in the United States.
"And they're all calling me out, but he kind of knows his place," said Whittaker.
Promoter Eddie Hearn detailed the strategic operational timeline for Whittaker following the New York event, outlining a clear path toward the elite tier of the division.
"Against those guys, probably another three fights.
They are the elite of the elite, and when you fight them, you've got to be ready," said Hearn.
Hearn planned for Whittaker to transition quickly from his American debut to a major domestic headlining event later in the year.
"So we've got Saturday night, and Whittaker will headline in October against a big domestic name, and then one more, and then he'll be ready for anybody in the division," said Hearn.
Shifting focus to the main event of the evening, Hearn expressed expectations for Jaron Ennis to secure a decisive victory over Zayas to facilitate super-welterweight unification bouts.
"If he wins this fight on Saturday and becomes unified world champion, there are two other belt holders, Josh Kelly and Sebastian Fundora," said Hearn.
The promoter indicated that Ennis intends to target the remaining title holders to establish dominance in the weight class.
"He'll want to chase those fights," said Hearn.
Hearn concluded by detailing the long-term divisional ascension planned for Ennis across multiple weight limits.
"He'll [Ennis] try and be undisputed. Then he'll move to 160 [lbs].
Then I think he'll move to 168[lbs]. So, yeah, I'm really excited to see him triumph," said Hearn.
The event at the Barclays Center will proceed with the undercard bouts leading into the unified title main event.
