The WBC ordered Joshua Buatsi and Ben Whittaker to meet in a final light heavyweight title eliminator today at their convention in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Buatsi-Whittaker fight being ordered was just one of the moves the WBC announced today at its 63rd annual convention.
Whittaker, 28, captured the vacant WBC Silver light heavyweight title last month, knocking out Benjamin Gavazi in the first round to put him in position to fight Buatsi in a title eliminator against champion David Benavidez.
Is Whittaker Even Ready Yet?
It’s doubtful promoter Eddie Hearn will give the green light for Whittaker to face the more experienced 32-year-old Buatsi. Although Whittaker is nearing 29 with an Olympic Silver medal, he’s being matched by Hearn like a prospect with no amateur experience.
Why Hearn Might Stall This Fight
Given the near-disaster of Ben’s first fight against journeyman Liam Cameron in 2024, it’s understandable why Hearn is keeping the training wheels on him. Whittsaker still doesn’t appear sturdy enough to be thrown in with the predators at 175 at this time.
Whittaker just signed with Matchroom and had an easy gimme with the lower-level fighter Benjamin Gavazi chosen as his opponent for his debut with the company on November 28, 2025.
Eddie’s Third-Tier Fairy Tale Gets Shattered
Hearn said he wanted Whittaker to take five fights before battling for a world title. He started off on what he referred to as the “third tier,” and he’s working him up to the “1st tier” where David Benavidez, Dmitry Bivol, and Artur Beterbiev are at.
Hearn considers Buatsi to be second tier, along with Anthony Yarde and Callum Smith. Interestingly, he didn’t mention David Morrell, Imam Khataev, or the guy that beat Whittaker in the Olympics, Cuba’s Arlen Lopez, as being part of the second tier.
How is the guy who beat Whittaker not mentioned by Hearn as a second-tier fighter? Yarde was just knocked out and looked below 3rd tier against David Benavidez. Shouldn’t the 2020 Olympic gold medalist winner, Arlen Lopez, at least be seen as second-tier?
That suggests that they’re going to be treated as the untouchable class, the third-rail types that Whittaker will be cunningly maneuvered around. For Hearn not to even mention Morrell, Lopez, and Khataev as belonging to the second tier is a red flag that they are fighters Whittaker will avoid. When you’re creating a product for money-making, it’s a bad idea to have it exposed by entering the general population among the predators at 175.
The 2020 Olympic silver medalist Whittaker (10-0-1, 7 KOs) is ranked #9 with the WBC, while the Queensberry-promoted Buatsi (20-1, 13 KOs) is rated #5.
Last Updated on 12/03/2025
