Ben Whittaker tipped to seize his Olympics golden shot

Whittaker faces Cuba’s Arlen Lopez for the light-heavyweight title following a superb run to the gold medal bout at Tokyo 2020.

Joby Clayton, who trained Whittaker at Wolverhampton’s Firewalker gym, believes Lopez – who claimed gold in the middleweight division at Rio 2016 – represents the toughest challenge yet for his former charge.

But he believes Whittaker, who has impressed both in and out of the ring in Japan thanks to his engaging style, is ready to put in a memorable performance.

“This is the type of challenge worthy of an Olympic gold,” said Clayton. “It will be rare in his career Benjamin will be tested to such a high standard as he will be tomorrow.

“When you have that type of challenge you have to seize it with both hands and I am sure Benjamin is going to rise to the occasion and put on a fantastic performance.”

Clayton, now part of world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s coaching team, is a keen student of Cuban boxing and is well aware of the threat Lopez poses.

“Lopez is a fantastic switch-hitter,” he explained. “He is short and stocky which is quite unusual for a Cuban. But he has a fantastic blend of being a boxer and a fighter. It is going to be a really special contest.

“It is the pinnacle of the sport. Benjamin has had a great run to get to the final.

“He started off with two low key performances, I felt, but that was perfect because in my opinion the Olympics are not five three-round fights, it is a 15-round fight spread over a few days.

“He started off slow, built into it and now these are the Championship rounds.”

Clayton’s relationship with Whittaker extends far beyond coaching. He is also the 24-year-old’s godfather, having been friends with his dad Tony since they were teenagers.

Whittaker’s first experience of boxing came as a toddler when he would watch Clayton and his dad spar at Firewalker.

After then enjoying his first success as a fighter under the guidance of Steve O’Rourke at Wodensborough Boxing Club in Wednesbury, he won the second of two national titles with Firewalker.

Clayton explained: “Around the age of nine or 10, Tony wanted to get him into boxing and he would come to the gym and do a little bit of work on the pads.

“He was a cheeky chappie, full of energy, full of jokes. To me, at the time, boxing was something to release his energy and give him a little bit of focus.

“He boxed for Wodensborough and Steve O’Rourke did a great job of guiding his career.

“I didn’t start to take Ben’s career seriously until he was about 14. That is when he started to dedicate himself. That is when you start to see the leaps and bounds in his progression. From about the age of 16 he started to pull away from his competitors.”

Whittaker, who was expelled from school and sacked from two jobs before going on to shine in the ring, has made headlines both for his impressive performances and charismatic post-fight interviews.

For Clayton, who along with everyone else has been getting used to early alarm calls, watching Whittaker’s success has been a source of huge joy.

“The absolute magic of watching those interviews is that is Benjamin,” says Clayton. “He could be talking to anybody. There is nothing contrived about it. He is in this moment and is shining. We can’t ask for any more than that.

“It is a blessing for me and an honour to be part of his life and to have played a part of moulding him into the athlete and hopefully the human being he has become.

“But it is really down to his parents. They have done such a wonderful job of moulding him as a young man.

“He often talks about how he was expelled from school. Sometimes that has a devastating effect on young people. But it just made him more aware of the importance of dedicating himself to his boxing.

“The qualities it takes to be successful are the qualities he has. He is an incredibly serious athlete, although he comes across as joking all the time.

“You would not get the performances he is producing without being a dedicated athlete. At the same time he has this wonderful sense of humour and a jovial disposition which balances the stresses and strains of being an elite performer. It is a joy to see. I can’t wait for him to reap the rewards.”