Most are expecting the explosive 29-year-old to add Rivera’s name to those highlights when they face off Saturday night in Barclays Center on the undercard of Jaron Ennis vs. Xander Zayas.

Yet, despite being counted out and overlooked, Rivera (27-2, 20 KOs) can’t wait for his shot at Whittake.

“Whittaker isn’t as good as people think he is,” Rivera told The Ring. “His record looks good, but if you look closely at it he really hasn’t fought anyone. His handlers know what they’re doing. He’s been pampered his entire career. He’s just overhyped. He’s not beating me.”

Rivera may not be impressed, but it’s hard to overlook what the highly ranked light heavyweight and 2020 Olympic silver medalist has done recently. In his last two fights, “The Surgeon” has scored consecutive first-round KOs.

While Whittaker (11-0-1, 8 KOs) has been busy, Rivera has been on the sidelines.

In his last fight, which took place in January 2025, he scored a quick second-round stoppage against Roger Guerrero. He was hoping for more activity following that bout, but he prioritized quality over quantity.

The bright lights are shining on him now. He plans on using this elevated platform to score an eye-catching win in front of the world.

“The plan is to stop him,” Rivera said. “I know that I have the power to do it. Is Whittaker tough? I’m not sure, but that doesn’t matter. If I don’t stop him, I plan on beating him up round after round after round.”

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