Ben Whittaker Stops Richard Rivera In Two Rounds With Dominant U.S. Debut

The unbeaten Olympic silver medalist dropped Richard Rivera twice before forcing a second-round stoppage in Brooklyn

Ben Whittaker delivered the biggest win of his professional career on Saturday night, stopping Richard “Popeye” Rivera in two rounds during his U.S. debut at Barclays Center. The unbeaten British light heavyweight scored two knockdowns before referee Michael Griffin halted the contest just 27 seconds into Round 2.

Late in the opening round, Whittaker scored the first knockdown with a right hand that sent Rivera to the canvas. Although Rivera beat the count, he struggled to deal with Whittaker’s movement and precision.

The end came quickly after the second round began. Whittaker unloaded another crisp combination that dropped Rivera again, leaving referee Griffin little choice but to wave off the contest before Rivera could absorb additional punishment.

The victory continues Whittaker’s recent run of impressive stoppage wins as he builds momentum in the light heavyweight division. After questions earlier in his professional career about whether his flashy style would translate against experienced opposition, he has increasingly paired his athleticism with an aggressive finishing mentality.

Rivera entered the bout as a durable fringe contender with 20 knockout victories of his own, but he was unable to match Whittaker’s hand speed or technical ability over the brief contest.

With another dominant performance on a major DAZN card, Whittaker is expected to move closer to higher-ranked opposition as he continues his climb toward world-title contention at 175 pounds.