Ben Whittaker’s triumphant Matchroom debut was overshadowed within hours after the light-heavyweight contender returned home to find his property burgled, with thieves making off with several personal items - including the IBF International belt he won last June.
The break-in abruptly punctured the elation of his explosive first-round stoppage of Benjamin Gavazi in Birmingham on Saturday night, a performance designed to announce his arrival on the Eddie Hearn roster.
Whittaker, 28, had been riding the wave of an almost flawless evening.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist produced a ruthless display, flattening Gavazi with a concussive right hand and earning widespread acclaim for a performance that matched his showman persona.
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Yet just hours later, the Walsall fighter posted a video on social media revealing that he had returned home to find the property ransacked.
“Highs and lows of the sport,” he said.
“[I] come back [from my fight] [and my] house has been burgled.
Five facts about boxing that fans might not know | GBNEWS/PA"But Wednesbury, I got a big, big reward. Find these people — let me know.
"They’ve even took my IBF [International] belt. What are they going to do with that? Let me know, hit me up in the DMs. [There’ll be] a big reward. Much love.”
Whittaker did not disclose what else had been taken but made clear the symbolic significance of the belt’s disappearance.
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Ben Whittaker produced a stunning performance on his Matchroom debut
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The IBF International title, which he claimed last June, had been a key milestone in his ascent through the professional ranks.
Inside the Resorts World Arena on Saturday night, he delivered precisely the sort of electrifying knockout Hearn had hoped would accompany his Matchroom debut.
“When you walk out pretty like that, you have to back it up and that’s what I did,” Whittaker said afterwards.
He credited coach Andy Lee with steadying his mindset.
“Andy said in the locker room, ‘What you do in sparring is enough. Just go out there, work behind your shots, and it will all come together’. And damn, I looked good," he added.
Whittaker also suggested that he sensed Gavazi’s determination in the build-up but was unmoved by the challenger’s mindset.
Ben Whittaker was hailed by Eddie Hearn for his sensational display
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“I could see he was a game kid; I could see it in his eyes," he stated.
"This was an opportunity to change his life. But at the press conference, he let something slip. He said, ‘I’ve got nothing to lose’. Well, I’m a person who has everything to lose.”
For Hearn, the emphatic finish reinforced his belief that Whittaker has the potential to become one of the sport’s standout stars.
“All I can say is wow,” the promoter said. “Sometimes people come into an arena and light up the place. But what matters is what happens in here, the ring.
"We know there are many levels above Gavazi that we need to reach. But when you face that level, you go in, destroy them clinically, and produce a showreel knockout the whole world watches for the next week.
"Millions and millions of views are watching this young man, who is truly special.”