Tim Bradley says he views Ben Whittaker as “fool’s gold” ahead of his Matchroom debut against Benjamin Gavazi on November 29th. He states that Whittaker (9-0-1, 6 KOs) lacks “fundamentals” and can’t see him beating “nobody in the top 10” at 175.
(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)
Whittaker’s fight against Gavazi (19-1, 13 KOs) is going to give an indicator of whether he’s going to pan out as a pro. The two are headlining on DAZN on November 29th in a 10-round bout for the WBC Silver light heavyweight title at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England.
No Faith in Whittaker’s Fundamentals
Promoter Eddie Hearn recently signed the 2020 Olympic silver medalist Whittaker to a long-term contract with Matchroom, labeling him a “generational talent.” Boxing analyst Bradley disagrees and says he believes even Hamzah Sheeraz would beat him. He doesn’t believe that Whittaker’s junk style of “clowning around” inside the ring will work against top-10 level fighters at 175. Thus far, you can’t disagree with Bradley.
Tim mentions that Whittaker looked like he was ready to quit in his first fight against Liam Cameron on October 12, 2024. When Ben failed to score a quick knockout in that fight, he began to fall apart under the pressure from Cameron in the fifth round.
“As for Ben Whittaker, I’m cutthroat. I think he’s fool’s gold. I actually think [Hamzah] Sheeraz would beat him,” said analyst Tim Bradley on his channel, giving his thoughts on light heavyweight contender Ben Whittaker.
Whittaker’s Mental Fragility Exposed
Bradley is obviously basing much of his opinion on how Whittaker mentally crumbled when being relentlessly attacked by Cameron in their first bout. I can understand why Tim would see Whittsaker as “fool’s gold” after watching that fight. That wasn’t even against a top-tier contender.
Although Ben knocked out Cameron in the second round of their rematch on April 20 this year, you still have to question whether we would have seen a similar breakdown if the contest had gone into the later rounds.
As the saying goes, ‘coming events cast their shadows before.’ Whittaker has already shown that he can’t handle pressure from fighters walking him down. Predictably, he’ll rapidly disintegrate when he faces a pressure fighter that ignores his junk style and keeps attacking him.
“They’re [Matchroom] trying to move him quickly because he’s 28 years old. It’s not old. He’s facing a guy [Benjamin Gavazi] with double the amount of fights that he has, a guy that is gritty,” said Bradley about Whittaker.
Matchroom’s Risky Investment
Matchroom has no choice but to move Whittaker quickly. He turns 29 next year, and they’ve got to push him much faster than they would a younger fighter if they want to take advantage of his youth. If Whittaker can’t handle being moved quickly, he’ll fail. It would be interesting to know if Matchroom has an early release escape clause in its contract with Whittaker if he doesn’t pan out.
“The reason I think he’s fool’s gold…He has all these moves, but he’s never going to make it to the big leagues. If Ben can’t knock this guy out early, it could get difficult for him. I don’t see him beating nobody at 175 lbs, nobody in the top 10,” said Bradley about Whittaker.
Based on Whittaker’s performance in his first fight with Cameron, I don’t see him beating any of these light heavyweight contenders:
- David Morrell
- Arlen Lopez
- Anthony Yarde
- Imam Khataev
- Artur Beterbiev
- Oleksandr Gvozdyk
Since 2015, Olly Campbell has brought readers a clear ringside perspective and a steady voice on boxing’s biggest nights.
Last Updated on 10/17/2025
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