Who should Ben Whittaker fight next? 3 options after his 1st round KO on Matchroom debut

Ben Whittaker’s Matchroom Boxing debut couldn’t be any better.

The Olympic medalist has yet to make a lasting impression on fans after his first 10 fights under Boxxer, and the disaster of his ninth bout against Liam Cameron is still fading. More performances like his stunning first round knockout of Benjamin Gavazzi will only bring more people to his side.

Granted, Gavazzi – now on the wrong side of knockout contender of the year – was nowhere near Whittaker’s level, but the British light heavyweight still produced another viral moment in a short career already full of them.

Matchroom appears keen to take Whittaker across the Atlantic for his US debut next year. But who should the 28-year-old fight next? Boxing News is looking into some possible options.

Winner of Craig Richards vs. Dan Aziz

Promoter Eddie Hearn believes Whittaker is a future star and wants to build him “the right way”. This could mean either Richards or Aziz is considered too dangerous an opponent for his 12th fight.

The match will be played in Ghana on December 20 and most believe Richards will qualify. The 35-year-old is a veteran but showed a more vengeful side when he knocked out Padraig McCrory in March.

Azeez, a former European champion, seems tailor-made for Whittaker, who would be favored against Richards as well – and a fighter of his pedigree and ability should call for opponents of this calibre. If such a move is considered too early for ‘The Surgeon’, don’t expect too big of a jump from Gavazi next time around.

Manuel Gallegos

The Mexican has been in good company over his last three fights, competing between super middleweight and light heavyweight. Diego Pacheco capitalized on his approach moving forward, while the only win of that round came in an upset against Khalil Ko – now Whittaker’s stablemate in the match room.

Coe avenged his loss emphatically, but UK promoters like scale and Galegos fits the bill: a move big enough to build confidence, but not so big that Matchroom will hesitate.

Another eye-catching win for Whittaker could also help him raise his voice in the United States, where rivals like Ko could soon be in his crosshairs.

Lyndon Arthur

The new European light-heavyweight champion showed he took training seriously when he stepped back for years to relieve Bradley Rea of ​​the title last month.

At 35, Arthur is no longer as elusive as he once was, but the pairing still offers a lot: Whittaker’s brash confidence and Arthur’s quiet arrogance will mesh in the build-up to the attack, and the fight itself will be a compelling clash between two top-tier prospects – one on the rise and the other climbing back in pursuit of another world title.

Beating Gavazzi the way he did gives Whittaker credibility and momentum. He needed to impress in his Matchroom debut, and he did just that. But progress now should not be too cautious. This weekend’s demolition could be the signal to let Whittaker off the leash and spend 2026 cementing his in-ring reputation against a strong contender before pushing for a world title shot the following year.