Whittaker survives late scare to hold on for points win

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Ben Whittaker won silver for Team GB at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo

By Kal Sajad

BBC Sport boxing journalist at Utilita Arena, Birmingham

• Published 22 minutes ago

British light-heavyweight Ben Whittaker survived a dramatic late onslaught from Conor Wallace to move a step closer to a world-title shot with a points victory in Birmingham.

The 29-year-old controlled much of the contest with his trademark showboating and superior boxing skill at the Utilita Arena before Wallace came roaring back in the championship rounds.

The Northern Irishman rocked Whittaker in the 10th and came close to a remarkable turnaround in the 12th, with the home fighter forced to hold on until the final bell.

The judges scored it 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113 as Whittaker became mandatory challenger for the IBF world title.

“It was too easy and I took my eye off the ball a little bit. He caught me with a good shot but that’s boxing,” Whittaker said.

“When it got a bit too easy I was playing too much and doing silly antics.”

The Olympic silver medallist extended his unbeaten professional record to 13 wins and one draw and is now mandatory challenger for IBF champion Dmitry Bivol, who also holds the WBA ‘super’ and WBO belts and is expected to face Liverpool’s Callum Smith in December.

Wallace, 30, suffered the second defeat of his 19-fight career and called for an immediate rematch.

“If he wants to run it back and get a beat down again he can. If not, we’ll move on,” Whittaker responded.

Showboating Whittaker clings on in Birmingham

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Ben Whittaker made his professional debut in July 2022

Whittaker made an extravagant entrance, accompanied by a live string ensemble playing WWE star The Undertaker’s theme before switching to “Icon” by Karen.

Despite being from nearby West Bromwich, Whittaker was greeted by as many jeers as cheers from the roughly 5,000 fans inside the arena.

The fight came alive in the third when Whittaker briefly staggered Wallace with a shot that skimmed his forehead.

Wallace’s travelling support made themselves heard, only to be drowned out by an airhorn smuggled into the arena as Whittaker found his rhythm

Among those in attendance were former UFC champion Leon Edwards and American Cassondra Gainey, who travelled nearly 4,000 miles from North Carolina after Whittaker’s social-media videos helped lift her spirits during cancer treatment.

Wallace offered a warning of what was to come when he landed a heavy left in the sixth.

“Stay focused. Just because you’re comfortable, don’t get lazy,” trainer Andy Lee told Whittaker, who regained control before an almost disastrous 10th round.

Wallace hurt him with a thudding southpaw left before Whittaker walked on to a huge shot and looked in serious trouble.

Whittaker briefly got some respite when Wallace was warned for punching on the break, but he continued pushing forward as a major upset suddenly felt possible.

Whittaker hit the canvas three times in the final round, none ruled knockdowns, as Wallace threw everything at a visibly tiring opponent.

By the end, Whittaker had done enough to win – but not without giving Wallace and his support reason to wonder what might have happened with a little more time.

“I only have myself to blame,” he said. “I feel like I’ve got the best support in the world. This felt like my home show tonight even though it’s in Birmingham.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn welcomed the possibility of a rematch: “We know Ben is in the position to fight the winner of Bivol-Smith but it’s likely that won’t be until next summer, so he needs to fight in the interim.”

Kamara wins debut, British-title success for Fawaz & Uddin

Image source, Matchroom

Image caption, Bilal Fawaz (right) picked his fifth stoppage win in 13 victories, with one defeat and one draw

On a strong undercard showcasing domestic talent, there was British-title success for Walsall’s Hamza Uddin and Londoner Bilal Fawaz.

Nigeria-born Fawaz, who is fighting for a British passport, stopped Eithan James in the eighth round to retain his British and Commonwealth light-middleweight titles.

Fawaz – who earned a £5,000 stoppage bonus offered to him by promoter Hearn earlier in the night – called out IBF world champion Josh Kelly and Conor Benn after his win.

“It doesn’t matter who is in front of me, with the capacity of what we are trying to achieve, no one can stop us except if they are at world level,” Fawaz told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Unbeaten Uddin, 23, dominated Sean Bruce, dropping him twice in the fifth with punishing body and head shots for an eighth straight win.

Uddin closed the show in the eighth with a heavy right. Bruce rose at the count of nine before the referee stepped in.

Given star billing in the chief support on his professional debut, standout amateur Odel Kamara, 22, dominated Thodoris Ritzakis, dropping the Greek in the first before a somewhat premature third-round stoppage.

“Liverpool has a star. Britain has got a star. This kid is going all the way,” Hearn said of the debutant.

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