Ben Whitaker Signs With Matchroom!

(October 7th) Eddie Hearn is delighted to announce today the huge statement signing of one of the sport’s biggest stars as Ben Whittaker joins Matchroom Boxing on a long-term deal.

The Team GB 2020 Tokyo Games hero has officially put pen to paper with the sport’s leading global promotion – fighting exclusively on the global home of Boxing, DAZN.

Whittaker, unbeaten with a record of 9-0-1, 6 KOs, will be officially unveiled by Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing at a Press Conference in London on Friday, October 17.

Full details for this – including timings, venue, and interview access – will be shared separately in due course.

Trained by ex-World Champion, Andy Lee, the exciting Midlands sensation is ranked highly by both the IBF and WBC. And the Olympic silver medalist revealed that the move to Matchroom Boxing is heavily motivated by being the best in the world – and a future ruler of the Light Heavyweight division.

"Ben Whittaker and Matchroom Boxing? It sounds very good – it’s got a nice ring to it,” said Whittaker, speaking to Matchroom Boxing.

"Of course, I came very close to signing before. But I’m here now, and that’s the main thing.

I think things happen for a reason. I’m at the right stage in my career now to pick the right platform and go for the right fights. So this move just made sense.

“I’ve only had 10 fights so far – and there have been a few ups and downs in those. But I’m lucky that the experience I have so far will take me far in my career.

"From the amateurs to Olympic medals to professional wins, I’m ready for the next step and I truly feel like this is a fresh start. I can’t wait to embark on this new chapter. I have a great team behind me, with Andy Lee in my corner, and I am really excited to make my debut with Matchroom Boxing.

“I first met Eddie as an amateur when I was training in Sheffield and AJ was there in the gym. We always knew this time would come and I’m very happy that this moment has finally arrived to work together.

“I’m grateful to Eddie and Frank Smith. All my family have known this is where I always wanted to be. It had to be the right time, but we’re here now, I know all the team here – they are very professional – and I honestly can’t wait to get started.

“I remember being shown around [at Matchroom HQ] during Covid at Fight Camp and Eddie said then he wanted to make me a star and make me a champion. It didn’t quite pan out then but we’re here now, with a better haircut than I had back then, and as a better version of me.

“The plan now remains as what it was back then. Of course, my popularity has grown and my profile has got bigger. But I think with Eddie [Hearn] and Matchroom Boxing, I will become even more of a household name and one day become a World Champion.

“I’m ranked well with both the IBF and WBC, so that was another reason why I wanted to come on board with Matchroom because I believe they will help navigate my path towards winning those belts at the right time. And that’s what I’m here for."

Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn has described Whittaker as one his most exciting signings of all-time and is ready to help propel him to superstardom.

“He is phenomenal. This is the greatest signing to make in Boxing today. Ben Whittaker is a generational talent and we are ready to take his career to a whole new level,” said Hearn.

“This long-term deal will propel Ben to global superstardom, solidifying his reputation as a household name and steering him towards future World Titles. He will be No.1. He has the world at his feet and I am beyond excited to finally be promoting this great, young man.”

Matchroom Boxing CEO Frank Smith has heralded Whittaker’s addition to his world class stable as a 'game changer' and insists future glory awaits the popular 28-year-old fighter.

Smith said: “This is a truly satisfying signing for Matchroom Boxing. It's a game changer and I couldn’t be happier. I have no doubt that Ben will become a World Champion. And we will do everything in our powers to promote him in the way he deserves – and the way the UK deserves too. He is a future legend of British boxing.”

About DAZN Group

DAZN Group is one of the fastest growing sports media companies in the world. Headquartered in the UK and with employees in over 25 countries, our businesses touch every aspect of the way fans engage with sports; from production, through to content distribution and commercialization. DAZN Group is home to DAZN, the leading global sport destination, as well as the popular sport portal, DAZN News. DAZN is leading the charge to give sports fans around the world access to sport anytime, anywhere. DAZN guarantees affordable access on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles. DAZN is now live in more than 200 countries and territories after first launching in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan in 2016.

DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK.  Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world - Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.  

DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League. With the most authentic voice in the sport, DAZN is the only brand that can reach across all markets and audiences cohesively in boxing, unlike any other broadcaster. DAZN is also a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F.  DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.  

DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialise, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.  

DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries.

DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalogue and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including Playstation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and find the app on their iPhone, iPad, android and mobile.  

About Matchroom Boxing

After the success of snooker in the 1980s, Matchroom Sport moved into boxing with two small hall shows followed by Frank Bruno v Joe Bugner at Tottenham Hotspur’s ground – the biggest boxing event of 1987. That launched the company into the boxing big-time, a position it has maintained ever since.

Through the 1990s Matchroom Sport’s boxing roster featured many of the biggest names in the sport including Lennox Lewis, Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank, Steve Collins and Naseem Hamed, all in world title fights and it continues to work with some of the biggest names in UK boxing including Audley Harrison, the 2000 Olympic Super-Heavyweight gold medalist.

Over the years, Matchroom Sport has built up long-standing relationships with broadcasters around the world and with the advent of the Prizefighter phenomenon, the company’s boxing division has never been in a stronger position.

From fantastic six round scraps between the sport’s journeymen, up to multi-million-dollar World Championship contests featuring the above fighters, the Pro Box series has it all. Each show is packed with the very best in boxing action in a series that encompasses almost 25 years of Matchroom Sport’s commitment to bringing the highest quality to the global television market.