Ben Whittaker has the potential to reach the levels of Roy Jones Jr. That’s the opinion of SugarHill Steward, the trainer of Tyson Fury, who’ll be in charge of Whittaker’s corner when he gets his professional career underway later this year.
A star of the 2020 Olympics that were held the following year due to COVID-19 pandemic, Whittaker impressed in Tokyo as he collected a silver medal following a final defeat to Cuba’s Arlen Lopez. Since last summer’s showpiece, Whittaker has been pondering his next move and has now decided to turn professional with Steward in his corner.
“He reminded me coming out of the Olympics from amateur to pro with that star-studded quality, like a Roy Jones,” said Steward when speaking with talkSPORT.
“Definitely, he can reach the pinnacle of Roy Jones and some top athletes that have come before him.
“This is probably one of the first times anyone has talked about Roy Jones in terms of someone coming out [of the Olympics]. I do see some similarities in the showmanship and his character outside of the ring and just his way with the people.”