Ben Whittaker's opponent on Saturday isn't 'impressed' with budding British star

Besides his exciting fighting style inside the ring, Whittaker (11-0-1, 8 KOs) is also known for his charisma, which has made him as popular outside the ring as inside it. But don't count Rivera among those who are impressed with the Olympic silver medalist, as he feels everything Whittaker does is a charade.

“I’m not too thrown off by his antics. I don’t think that those moves, those antics, come from bravery,” Rivera said in a video posted to social media.

“I think it’s a mask to hide his real fear. I’m just not impressed. A guy that disguises his flaws with these jokes. When it comes down to fight night, we’re gonna see how far them antics take him. The world is going to say, ‘Oh my gosh, I couldn’t believe it! The biggest upset!’ When I knew all along.”

Before Whittaker, Rivera's (27-2, 20 KOs) biggest fight has been against former two-division champion Badou Jack in August 2022 by a narrow split decision. It appears Rivera is already looking past Whittaker and has his eyes on bigger fights after Saturday night. 

“Everybody knows Bivol is scared, everybody knows Beterbiev is scared,” Rivera said. “They love calling me for sparring, but they wouldn’t call me for a real fight. When it comes down to it, I think David Benavidez is the only worthy adversary.”

Zayas vs. Ennis - watch only on DAZN

Xander Zayas defends his WBO and WBA super welterweight titles against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis on Saturday, June 27, exclusively live on DAZN. Buy as a one-off PPV or included, along with Joshua vs. Prenga (July 25) and Canelo vs. M'billi (Sept 12) PPVs, with a DAZN Ultimate Tier subscription.

For more information, pricing, and to buy, click here.