Ben Whittaker spent his summer chasing a need for speed - and is now ready to motor towards a world title.
Light-heavyweight Whittaker is widely considered one of British boxing's next big stars and could fill the shoes of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. He will look to take the next step towards the top tonight when he takes on Conor Wallace in Birmingham, with the winner in pole position to challenge for a world title.
Motorsport inspiration
Whittaker spent his time off as a guest at the British Grand Prix and the MotoGP at Silverstone and said: "The best experience was the MotoGP. It was something new, the speed was crazy and I got to meet the drivers and some of the drivers' families, so it was a really good experience."
"It showed me that each sport at the top is very hard. People say, 'Oh, all they do is ride on a bike,' but there's a lot that goes into it, so it was good to see that insight. The drivers looked like they were in a flow state when they go around the corners. They don't really think too much, they just let themselves go, and that's what I do in the ring, and that's why I'm so elusive and so awkward, because when I get in that flow, it's game over."
Underdog status
Wallace is ranked above Whittaker but will start as the underdog tonight. And the home favourite is ready to send his rival back to Australia.
"He's a decent fighter, he's ranked above me on paper and he's obviously coming thinking he can win, but I just feel like if this was in the amateur game, and I drew him, I'd have probably text my dad and said, 'Oh man, what a draw this is'."
"I feel like I'm just levels above. I'm in this position for a reason; he's coming over to my place, Birmingham, and it's just for me to shut him down."
