Ben Whittaker vs Richard Rivera: Fight date, venue, ring walk time, undercard, tale of the tape & more
Ben Whittaker will make his US debut in New York in the early hours of Sunday morning when he faces off against Richard Rivera.
The Surgeon comes into this one following a first round stoppage win over Braian Suarez in April this year.
Rivera on the other hand, has been inactive since January 2025, though ability wise does offer a step up in competition for Whittaker.
Ben Whittaker vs Richard Rivera - All you need to know
Date: | Sunday 28th June, 2026 |
Fight: | Ben Whittaker vs Richard Rivera |
Approx Ring Walk Time: | 02:00 (BST) |
Weight Class: | Light Heavyweight |
Titles: | WBC Silver Light Heavyweight Championship |
Referee: | N/A |
Promoters: | Matchroom / Top Rank |
Venue: | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York |
TV Channel: | DAZN |
Fight Date
Ben Whittaker v Richard Rivera will take place in the early hours of Sunday 28th June, 2026 for UK viewers. Though the full card will start on the evening of Saturday 27th.
Venue
The WBC Silver Light Heavyweight Championship bout between Whittaker and Rivera will take place at the 19,000-seater Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The venue is home to Brooklyn Nets of the NBA and New York Liberty of the WNBA.
Ring Walks & Fight Time
Whittaker v Rivera is the third to last fight of the evening, so ring walks are expected around 02:00 (BST) with the fight commencing shortly after.
With New York being five hours behind the UK, the walks will begin at roughly 21:00 in local time (EDT).
Of course, an exact start time is dependent upon the length of the undercard action.
Tale of the Tape
Ben Whittaker | Richard Rivera | |
Record: | 11-0-1 (8 KOs) | 27-2 (20 KOs) |
Age: | 29 | 35 |
Birthplace: | West Bromwich, UK | Hartford, Connecticut, USA |
Height: | 6′ 3″ / 191cm | 6' 0″ / 183cm |
Stance: | Orthodox | Orthodox |
Last Fight: | Won (KO) vs Braian Nahuel Suarez (Apr 2026) | Won (KO) vs Roger Guerrero (Jan 2025) |
KO%: | 72.73% | 74.07% |
Alias: | 'The Surgeon' | 'Popeye The Sailor Man' |
Full Fight Undercard
- Xander Zayas vs Jaron 'Boots' Ennis - WBO and WBA Super Welterweight titles
- Emiliano Vargas vs Bryce Mills - Super Lightweight
- Ben Whittaker vs Richard Rivera - Light Heavyweight
- Jahi Tucker vs Euri Cendeno - Middleweight
- Quincey Williams vs Jerome Baxter - Welterweight
- Dennis Thompson vs Edwin Rodriguez - Super Bantamweight
- Juanma Lopez De Jesus vs Alberto Motos - Super Flyweight
