Eddie Hearn's intentions with Ben Whittaker were clear even before the ink had dried on his Matchroom Boxing contract last year.
While the UK will always be Whittaker's bread-and-butter, there was a consensus that American fans would be drawn to his natural style and swagger. The U.S. market present a big opportunity.
Fortunately for Whittaker, he backed up the pre-fight talk and hype with a sensational, highlight reel knockout on his debut with Hearn. The social media team at Matchroom would have taken great delight in the fact they were handed a perfect, snackable clip on a plate, ready to be pushed out to fans across the world, including America.
Whittaker's first foray in the U.S. was slated to be earlier this year on a potential Jaron "Boots" Ennis - Vergil Ortiz undercard. That, of course, never happened. But the time has come. Before Ennis takes on Xander Zayas in Brooklyn on Saturday [DAZN], Whittaker will finally get the chance to show American fans what he's all about against Richard Rivera.
"I'm going to show them, hopefully, all the tools in my toolbox," Whittaker told ESPN this week. "I'm going to show them real boxing, a surgical performance, with a little shimmer of Ben Whittaker on top, of course.
"I want to have the best performance. I want to go out there and make the fans want to see me again. I want the fans to leave that arena saying: 'Man, thank God we paid our money for that one.' That's the type of impression I want [to make]."
For those who haven't seen him in the flesh, a "shimmer of Ben Whittaker" means an eye-catching show from start to finish. He walked out alongside UK rapper Dizzee Rascal in Birmingham last year, and has vowed to bring "something special" to the stage at The Barclays Centre this week.
In the ring, he's shown he has the knockout touch: eight of his 11 wins have come by stoppage. There's also the showboating, which is perhaps most divisive, but gets people watching and talking all the same.
Love it or hate it, people are watching. His 3.8 million followers on Instagram, more than Ennis and Zayes combined, has already helped him establish a strong base across the Atlantic and, thanks to his interest in Anime, across Japan, another booming boxing market.
Whittaker was front-and-centre at this week's open workout at Gleason's Gym, Brooklyn. Ennis and Zayas weren't at the event, but fans, including young kids, were lining up "down the street" to get a glimpse of this new star at the fabled old gym, according to Hearn.
"In a boxing space, everybody knows who he is, but he's actually got a much wider reach than that because of what he brings with his profile and his personality," Hearn says. "So it's a little bit of Anime ... fashion, and obviously all of his performances go viral. In the past it's been a bit gimmicky. Now it's just brutal knockouts."
With Katie Taylor and Anthony Joshua heading towards the tail end of their careers and Conor Benn out the door, Whittaker, along with Ennis and Jesse "Bam" Rodrigues, is now positioned to be the face of the Matchroom stable.
Hearn is quick to point out that for all the flash things Whittaker does, he comes with a strong amateur pedigree, having won an Olympic silver medal at Tokyo 2020, a result Whittaker was disappointed with, having been gunning for gold.
The promoter recently posted on his social media that everyone had "failed" if Whittaker doesn't become an undisputed champion at some stage.
"People sometimes forget to talk about how good he is," Hearn says. "This kid's been around for years in the [Great Britain] squad. Everyone knows he's an absolute phenomenal fighter. And after Saturday, fingers crossed, we get the win ... A big fight in October in Birmingham against a really decent, big domestic name. And then world championship fights in 2027."
Coming out the GB set up, Whittaker started on his professional path with promising signs. He had the knockouts and the viral clips. But, a draw with Liam Cameron in October 2024, when he injured himself falling over the ropes and was unable to continue, became a line in the sand moment.
He left long-time trainer Joby Clayton and joined Andy Lee's small, tight-knit crop of fighters in Dublin, which includes Hamzah Sheeraz, Joseph Parker and Paddy Donovan.
The group train under Lee's watchful eye and away from the hustle and bustle that can come with being based in the UK or U.S.
They drive competition among themselves and recent results show it's working. Sheeraz won his first world title in May, and Donovan is back in the title picture at welterweight.
"Ben is a super athlete; he's a super talent. When you look at the stars in football, in any sport on the planet, Ben is right up there with them all," Donovan told ESPN.
"A lot of people may not like him for the way he is, but you've got to respect him for the way that he fights. He's got so much skill, so much determination. If you see what he does in the gym you'd be like: 'Wow, he deserves to be where he is.' I think Andy's done a fantastic job with him.
"If he doesn't become a world champion, then God help the rest of us."
While he has been in the spotlight this week, being on the undercard means Whittaker can somewhat lurk in the background after headlining his last three shows in the UK.
And, ahead of what he is hoping will be a key moment in his career, he's focused on getting the job done in Brooklyn.
"I'm fortunate to have that mindset now of a performance, of course, is good, but winning's key," Whittaker says.
"So for me, win [by] any means. If it's a boring fight, if it's an exciting fight, if it's a bit of a scruffy fight, whatever. As long as I win."