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.
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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'.
