Benjamin Whittaker shows podium potential

Whittaker shot down his middleweight rivals at the Golden Gong competition in Macedonia to be the pick of the bunch at 75kg, writes Craig Birch.

The 19-year-old scored two unanimous points victories to ease towards top honours, in emphatic fashion the first time around.

He handed Slovakia's Luka Mejach two standing counts and nearly forced the stoppage at the last of the three-round contest.

Then he defeated spirited Serbian Aleksander Kostic to prove himself as the event's No 1 at the weight and enjoy a winning start to life on the podium potential squad.

Whittaker needs to carry on proving his potential if that word is to be scrubbed from his status with GB, as his ultimate target is stepping up to the podium squad.

He said: "It's good to get the first fights under by belt for Team GB and to get a gold medal. Hopefully, it's the first of many. I'm glad to put on those performances, never mind go all of the way.

"It's my goal to become a full-time podium boxer and I want to do that as fast as I can. Gold medals speed up that process.

"I'm coming to an age now where I need to make a living for myself, I've boxing since I was seven years old so it's what I know best."

Whittaker believes he's caught the eye with the seven-man squad overseas and didn't feel troubled on his march to claim the spoils.

He said: "I was catching the Slovakian kid nice all through the bout with the right hand and I nearly gave him a third standing count, but the bull rang. It was as wide a points decision as you can get.

"The Serbian lad was game and he kept coming at me, so I met him in the centre of the ring and fought fire with fire.

"I had to let him know he couldn't keep coming forward, so I stuck to my boxing and spun him around. I beat him easy, really."

The Black Country influence within the podium potential squad is heightened by head coach Bob Dillon, Dudley born-and-bred and the founder of Lions Boxing Club.

Alan Vaughan and Phil Sellers were also on hand as trainers in Macedonia, with the team's next camp back at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield next week for three days.

Whittaker said: "The coaches told me to go out there and be the same Ben that I always am. Bob warmed me up and talked to me in the corner.

"He's a great coach who I know from my area and I might be the only one who can understand his broad Black Country accent! He's been helping me, I'm learning new things everytime I go up there."

Whittaker has also switched allegiances at club level, leaving Wodensborough where he won three national titles.

He's now with Firewalker in Wolverhampton, where his godfather Joby Clayton is a coach, and training three times a day working on cardio, strength and boxing training.

Whittaker said: "It's been brilliant for me, but I was always at Firewalker, it's just that I couldn't compete for them, as they've only become an accredited boxing club in the last year.

"I owe my old coaches at Wodensborough, Steve O'Rourke and Varuzh Varuzh, a lot for everything they've done for me and I can't thank them enough.

"But this is helping me get to the next level, Firewalker is always open during the day and we've got a good little team there.

"Joby has seen me grow from a hyperactive little kid into an adult and Kevin Blower (also a coach) knows boxing inside out. We're having a club show next week (Dunstall Racecourse, Thursday night).

"I'd have loved to have boxed decked out in the club's colours, but no one wants to fight me on my home club show. I'll just have to sit back and watch the other lads do the business instead."