Anthony Yarde could come next for Ben Whittaker presuming the up-and-coming contender gets past Conor Wallace in an IBF light heavyweight eliminator on October 3.
Yarde, 27-4 (24 KOs), is looking for a route back to the title picture at 175lbs after losing to David Benavidez in seven rounds last November. That represented the 35-year-old Londoner’s third attempt at light heavyweight honors after brave but losing efforts against Sergey Kovalev (2019) and Artur Beterbiev (2023).
Yarde’s trainer, Tunde Ajayi, has confirmed to TalkSport that the Briton will return in the final part of this year with Nigeria, and Balmoral Promotions, under consideration to host.
After that, the oft-mentioned showdown with the Matchroom-promoted Whittaker might occur in early 2027, presuming the Olympic silver medallist is ‘ready’ by then.
“We spoke to [Matchroom CEO] Frank Smith [about a fight with Whittaker], and they told us he wasn’t going to be ready until early next year,” Ajayi said.
A bout with long-time rival Joshua Buatsi is not quite off the table but it seems a bout with Whittaker, surely a more lucrative affair at this juncture, carries greater appeal.
“Ben is on his trajectory now, and people have always tried to build their name on Anthony Yarde,” Ajayi continued.
“I don’t want Ben Whittaker to be another Joshua Buatsi where your whole career is built of us and you still don’t fight. We want to see that fight: Anthony Yarde vs Joshua Buatsi, but we also want to see him against the new up-and-coming man [Ben Whittaker]. And Anthony would relish a fight against him.
“If you want a fight, you know Anthony Yarde is your man. He’s a man who has proved himself over and over again.”