My kingdom for a heel

Bad Left Hook's Patrick Stumberg argues that modern combat sports suffer from a lack of compelling villains, suggesting that boxer Ben Whittaker should lean into becoming an outright heel. Stumberg contends that Whittaker's current showboating falls flat because it lacks danger against overmatched opponents, while promoter Eddie Hearn has struggled to successfully present him as a fan favorite.

The writer claims that Whittaker lacks charismatic trash-talking ability and appears vulnerable against domestic rivals like Joshua Buatsi and Callum Smith. Rather than attempting to gain fan adoration, Stumberg advises Whittaker to embrace his perceived matchmaking advantages and arrogance to carve out an entertaining villainous persona.