Benjamin Whittaker fighting his way to a golden future

The 19-year-old repeated a feat achieved previously by the likes of Carl Froch, James DeGale and George Groves by successfully retaining the ABA England Elite middleweight title.

Whittaker emerged from a tough weekend in Liverpool last month with his reputation as one of the country’s top middleweight prospects intact and admitted this success was even sweeter than his first a year ago.

“Last year there was nowhere near as much pressure on me,” said Whittaker. “This time around I was the No.1 seed and that means there is a big target on your back – you are the man everyone is out to beat.

“To win it once is a great achievement but to do it twice is special. There are some great names who have retained the title in the past, both Carl Froch and James DeGale went on to win world titles.

“I’m hoping that one day I will be able go on to be as successful as they have.”

Whittaker, who is part of the GB podium squad, defeated Jack Stringer in the quarter-finals and then saw off Louis Richardson in the final four.

That set-up a rematch of last year’s final against Jordan Reynolds and again the result was the same as Whittaker claimed a unanimous points verdict against his Hoddesdon rival.

It was the latest honour for a fighter whose senior career continues to flourish – and for whom boxing is less a sport and more a way of life.

Inspired by his father Tony, who also boxed in his youth, Whittaker first took up the sport at the age of seven and claimed his first junior title back in 2011, at the age of just 13.

“My dad trained me for the first few years, up to the age of about 14 or 15,” recalls Whittaker. “For a long time I was not allowed to throw punches, it was all about footwork and putting the hard work in, getting the basics right.”

Elevated to the podium squad at the turn of the year, he now lives and trains during the week at Sheffield’s English Institute of Sport under the guidance of GB coach Robert McCracken – the man who has guided Anthony Joshua to world heavyweight championship glory.

At weekends, meanwhile, former Wodensborough ace Whittaker can be found working the pads back in Wolverhampton at Firewalker Fitness & Martial Arts, under the watchful eye of his godfather, Joby Clayton.

His sometime training partners, meanwhile, include the man who can now be regarded as perhaps the biggest name in the sport. Anthony Joshua’s dramatic victory over Wladimir Klitshcko last month elevated the Londoner’s status to that of global superstar, yet the world heavyweight champion still returns to South Yorkshire to train ahead of every bout.

For Whittaker and the rest hoping to follow in his footsteps, there could be no greater role model. “When you train alongside someone like that you get to see how hard they work,” he said. “He came through the same system that we are on now. He has shown us the pathway is there if you want it enough.

“He’s a really humble guy too. Watching him train, you see the attitude which is needed if you are going to make it at the top.

“Getting on to the podium squad at the turn of the year has been a huge boost for me. It has allowed me to live the life.

“Whereas others might have to fit their training around work and everything else, I have the chance to concentrate fully on boxing. I already feel a far better boxer than I did six months ago.”

Retaining the ABA crown means Whittaker appears almost certain to be part of the GB squad which travels to next year’s Commonwealth Games in Australia.

The 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo are also a realistic target, yet while Whittaker might still be young, he is already wise enough to know there can be no room for complacency.

“There are a lot of good young fighters in the country and they all want to be in the position I am in now,” he said. “You can’t allow your focus to slip or your standards to drop because there will always be someone ready to come and take your place if you do.

“I’m really proud of what I have achieved so far. I’ve given myself a good platform but I still need to keep progressing, stay concentrated and keep working hard. If I keep doing that, there is no reason why I can’t succeed.”