Richard Rivera challenges Ben Whittaker in undercard bout in Brooklyn

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Richard Rivera in the ring ahead of his Cruiserweight contest fight against Badou Jack at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Picture date: Saturday August 20, 2022. (Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images) | PA Images via Getty Images Richard Rivera will get a chance to knock off heavily-hyped light heavyweight Ben Whittaker this Saturday night, as the two will meet in an undercard bout on the Zayas vs Boots card in Brooklyn. The fight is the first on American soil for the 29-year-old Whittaker (11-0-1, 8 KO), who just fought on April 18 and scored a first round knockout win over Braian Suarez. Whittaker, an Olympic silver medalist, has become just as well-known for his joke-y sort of personality and his aggressive displays of “charisma” as his fighting, and the veteran Rivera (27-2, 20 KO) sees that as a “mask” that hides Whittaker’s “real fear.” “I’m not too thrown off by his antics. I don’t think that those moves, those antics, come from bravery,” Rivera says in a video posted to social media. “I think it’s a mask to hide his real fear. I’m just not impressed. A guy that disguises his flaws with these jokes. When it comes down to fight night, we’re gonna see how far them antics take him. The world is going to say, ‘Oh my gosh, I couldn’t believe it! The biggest upset!’ When I knew all along.” It’s probably worth mentioning that yes, Rivera does an entire “Popeye the Sailor Man” get-up, so a question of “antics” may reasonably go both ways here. That doesn’t mean he’s not tough, though, nor does a resume that looks thin on paper. The 35-year-old Rivera has been around for years but really hasn’t had the chance to break out as a serious player at 175 or cruiserweight, which can happen if you are actually tough and just don’t have the right career backing. His biggest fight came in 2022 when he faced Badou Jack, and Rivera did give Jack a real fight that night, losing a 10-round split decision. He has long held the belief that he’s simply been avoided by the biggest names around him, including Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev. “Everybody knows Bivol is scared, everybody knows Beterbiev is scared,” he says. “They love calling me for sparring but they wouldn’t call me for a real fight. When it comes down to it, I think David Benavidez is the only worthy adversary.” Rivera’s other loss was on the road in the Dominican Republic in 2024, against Luis Antonio Tejeda. Rivera lost an eight-round majority decision in a fight that was scored by three Dominican judges, which is not an accusation but, like, you know; boxing is the way it is. He’s won two in a row coming into Saturday’s fight with Whittaker. Will Rivera give Whittaker any problems on Saturday, or will “Popeye” just be another quick step toward Whittaker’s eventual world title shot(s)?