Boxing
Whittaker handed four-word spray by rival before bout
Zayas vs. Ennis: Watch only on DAZN PPV - Saturday
Ben Whittaker has been "pampered his entire career", with Richard Rivera determined to expose the light-heavyweight star.
'The Surgeon' will make his stateside debut on the Xander Zayas-Jaron Ennis bill, live on DAZN Pay-Per-View and Ultimate.
Bar a solitary draw with Liam Cameron, Whittaker has amassed an impressive showreel since making the professional switch.
Sparks fly as Zayas and Ennis meet
Relive DAZN FACE OFF here
But speaking to The Ring before their bout, Rivera feels he has been excessively praised, and promised to put him in his place.
"Whittaker isn’t as good as people think,” he said. “His record looks good, but if you look closely, he really hasn’t fought anyone.
"His handlers know what they’re doing. He’s been pampered his entire career. He’s just overhyped. He’s not beating me.”
“The plan is to stop him. I know that I have the power to do it. If I don’t, I plan on beating him up round after round after round.”
Whittaker most recently secured a swift victory over Braian Suarez in Liverpool this April to underline his rising credentials.
Having signed terms with Matchroom last year, the promotion hopes the star can become one of their flagship faces in 2026.
Whittaker enjoyed a photocall with two-time world darts champion Luke Littler earlier this week as he prepares to take America.
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.
