"He's an entertainer" - SugarHill Steward discloses how Ben Whittaker reminds him of Roy Jones Jr.
Tyson Fury's trainer SugarHill Steward has drawn comparisons between highly touted prospect Ben Whittaker and the legendary Roy Jones Jr.
Whittaker is set to make his debut tonight at the Bournemouth International Center against Greg O'Neill. The Brit displayed phenomenal boxing skills and athleticism as an amateur. He most notably captured a silver medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Watch the highlights of Ben Whittaker's amateur career:
Meanwhile, Roy Jones Jr. is widely considered one of the best boxers of all time. In his prime, he captured world titles in four weight divisions and beat the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Mike McCallum and James Toney. Jones was known for his blistering hand speed, extremely fast reactions and unorthodox style.
SugarHill believes the light heavyweight prospect possesses similar characteristics to Jones Jr., including the ability to entertain in and outside the ring. In a recent interview with iFL TV, he said:
"We all know about his boxing talents, but for me I'm looking at something a bit further. His character, his creativity. How he interacts with people, how he likes to be around people. How he's an entertainer. I keep mentioning one man and one man only and that's who he reminds of so much and that's Roy Jones Jr. The things he did outside the ring and... the things he done inside the ring."
Watch the full interview:
SugarHill Steward claims Ben Whittaker has adapted to his coaching style
Sugarhill continued by expressing how Ben Whittaker has transitioned well from amateur boxing and is getting used to the legendary 'Kronk' boxing style:
"Ben has adapted to my teaching, which is totally different than a lot of other people, a lot of other trainers and teams. But just understanding that being that his favorite fighter is Thomas Hearns and it's a 'Kronk' style... It doesn't take much for him to learn and understand it... He understands what's going to come out of it - knockouts."
SugarHill has demonstrated his phenomenal coaching skills by developing Tyson Fury into a knockout artist. 'The Gypsy King' has stopped Deontay Wilder twice and most recently Dillian Whyte in his last three fights.
Watch the fight highlights of Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte:
Whittaker will start his career in the 175-pound division. His fans will be eager to see if he can string together an impressive collection of knockouts in his coming bouts.