Eddie Hearn needs to find Ben Whittaker a fight that prepares him for a world title shot, and Conor Wallace remains the obvious choice. At 29, Whittaker needs meaningful rounds against opponents who can expose his weaknesses, followed by evidence that he can correct them.
Anthony Yarde is among the opponents Hearn has mentioned for Whittaker, although the meeting does not establish that a fight between them is being negotiated.
Plotting what’s next 🌎 https://t.co/AWWFNVJk3p
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) October 29, 2026
Whittaker earned his IBF mandatory position by beating Wallace on October 3, but the closing rounds weakened the case for sending him straight into a title fight. He controlled much of the contest before fading and getting hurt late, leaving a very different impression from the one he had built earlier.
“For me, no, he needs another fight,” Hearn said after the bout, naming Yarde, Wallace and the Joshua Buatsi–Willy Hutchinson winner as possibilities.
That leaves Hearn with a decision about what Whittaker actually needs. Another quick stoppage against an overmatched opponent would offer little preparation for championship opposition. Wallace forced him to work over the distance and exposed weaknesses that a better fighter could punish earlier.
A rematch would give Whittaker the chance to show he can finish strongly against someone who already knows how to hurt him. Wallace would have reason to attack sooner, having allowed Whittaker to collect too many of the early rounds before making his strongest effort.
Trainer Andy Lee cited COVID during the buildup to their first fight. If illness contributed to Whittaker’s late decline, facing Wallace again would provide an opportunity to demonstrate the difference a healthier preparation makes. It would also address the controversy surrounding a chaotic final round in which Whittaker went to the canvas three times without a knockdown being scored.
Yarde would bring a bigger domestic name and a heavier punching threat. That makes him an interesting option, but potentially a dangerous choice for someone who just struggled when Wallace increased the pressure. Whittaker would need to retain his concentration and defensive discipline when tired.
The Buatsi–Hutchinson winner would provide another demanding route. However, Hearn should be careful about treating any of these opponents as a convenient bridge to a title shot. Whittaker’s last performance showed why he needs the work.
Moving away from Wallace could also carry a cost with fans. Hearn has mentioned the rematch, but choosing someone else would leave the impression that his unbeaten fighter is leaving unfinished business behind.
Whittaker has time to improve at 29. His next fight needs to show that improvement, and beating Wallace more decisively would give Hearn something firmer to sell when the world title opportunity arrives.
At Whittaker’s age, a fighter does not develop an engine or an iron will out of nowhere. Those traits are either built into the foundation during the amateur days, or they simply do not exist. Whittaker entered the professional ranks with massive fanfare, an Olympic pedigree, and a style built entirely around showboating, reflexes, and athletic arrogance.
That works beautifully against overmatched opposition or journeymen who stand frozen in front of him. The moment a fighter stops watching the dancing, plants their feet, and marches forward with hard physical pressure, the entire facade begins to crack.
Liam Cameron proved it first. Cameron is a gritty, durable operator who made Whittaker uncomfortable by simply refusing to respect the theatrics, dragging him into physical trench work until that bizarre spill out of the ring brought a premature end. Instead of treating that as a warning light on the dashboard, Matchroom went right back to soft touches.
The Popeye Rivera matchup in Brooklyn was prime evidence of Hearn trying to protect the investment with harmless opposition rather than preparing him for genuine world caliber operators.
Conor Wallace brought that reality back to the surface in vicious fashion. It was not just a case of getting tired. Whittaker looked completely depleted, mentally rattled, and physically incapable of handling heavy incoming fire once the fight entered the championship rounds. Spending the twelfth round touching the canvas multiple times without the referee counting knockdowns was embarrassing for a guy calling out the division’s elite.
Whittaker does not possess the luxury of two or three developmental years to rebuild his gas tank and learn how to fight inside a phone booth. If he steps into the ring with a puncher like Anthony Yarde, or goes anywhere near the division monsters like Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol, the outcome is predictable. Those men do not wait around for nine rounds before turning on the pressure. They hunt you down from the opening bell.
If Hearn sends him into a rematch with Wallace and Whittaker runs out of gas again, the entire promotional work pops for good. What we saw down the stretch on October 3 might simply be Whittaker’s absolute ceiling under real pressure.
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