Boxer Ben Whittaker, a 2020 Olympic silver medalist, has gained overnight fame and a significant increase in followers due to his flashy and showboating style in the ring, despite initial criticism from coaches about his unconventional approach.
Ben Whittaker, a boxer, didn’t see his overnight fame coming. He’s a 2020 Olympic silver medalist in light heavyweight, and he turned pro in 2022. In no time, he had five wins under his belt, four of them by knockout. Just this month, he added another feather to his cap with a fifth-round TKO over Khalid Graidia.
This time, though, the world sat up and took notice. Whittaker’s flashy style went viral. He danced, showboated, and taunted his opponent while boxing his ears off. It was quite the spectacle.
He talked about his wild week on The MMA Hour. “It’s been nuts, honestly,” Whittaker admitted. Shaquille O’Neal messaged him, followed him, even sent him his number. Odell Beckham did the same. The list goes on. He’s honored, but he doesn’t do it for the views or likes. It’s just his style, his way of expressing himself in the ring.
He’s still trying to wrap his head around it all. He’s always been a showboat in the ring, then he’d go home, eat Five Guys, and wake up to a normal day. This time, he woke up to 3,000 more followers. He’s not sure what happened.
“It’s ridiculous,” he said. “But hey, all publicity is good publicity, I guess.”
His style is getting him noticed now, but it wasn’t always like this. When he made the Olympic team, the coaches didn’t like his fighting style. He ignored them, and it paid off. “The English style is very stiff, very strong, very come forward,” Whittaker explained. The coaches tried to change him, said his style wouldn’t work at a high level. Then he won a silver medal representing them. Sometimes, you just gotta trust yourself.
There’s some risk with his flashy style, of course. If he gets caught dancing with his hands down, the same people who love his highlights might laugh at his misfortunes. But Whittaker said that’s part of the game, and he’s not changing.
“Definitely not,” he said when asked if he’d tone it down. “Being a fighter, you need that risk. It excites me. It’s what makes me run in the morning, go hard in the gym. I like putting myself at that risk and knowing that I could become a meme. I make sure that doesn’t happen.”
At 26, Whittaker has a bright future in the squared circle. His sudden fame has people wanting to see him rise faster, but he’s not rushing. He wants to climb the ladder correctly before becoming a champion.
“I’m six fights in, and Twitter wants me to fight [Dmitry] Bivol next,” Whittaker said. “Give me some time, man! I’m 26. These guys are in their mid-30s. But it’s a confidence boost. If I’m six fights in and already with those guys, I’m doing something right.”
“But you always see it. Prospects do well at a certain level, then they jump to the next level and don’t make it. I want to go through every phase so when I’m at the top, I stay there. But skill wise, I believe I’m there already.”