Ben Whittaker survived a torrid twelfth round to win a unanimous decision against Conor Wallace and earn the number one spot in the IBF’s light-heavyweight rankings.
The Brit looked comfortable for the majority of the fight, employing his trademark movement and showboating to stop Wallace – who stepped through the ropes a significant underdog – making his mark in the fight.
As the championship rounds came around, however, Whittaker was caught more often and Wallace capitalised, leading to a tense final round in which the Birmingham favourite was clinching at any given opportunity, often tumbling to the canvas in his attempts to hold on.
Though those three minutes will be what lives in the memory of fight fans, Whittaker looked a class above in the early stages. The question for fans and analysts now becomes whether or not he is ready to take his next step up in opposition.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, former super-middleweight world champion George Groves broke down the last action of the fight.
“In that last round, he was completely gone. Absolutely way [out] at sea. Holding on for dear life. Maybe there is a little bit of inexperience as a pro … He went down a couple of times – I was really surprised that the referee didn’t actually score it a knockdown.
“Sometimes fighters are in cruise control and you want them to go through the gears, just change it up, bring intensity with a second and third wave. Whittaker didn’t do that tonight, and I don’t think it’s because he was worried about Conor Wallace … Wallace can’t match Whittaker for hand speed, but what he was doing though was punching with him.”
Groves went on to highlight what questions the performance raised for the 29-year-old.
“There are some major question marks now. You’re going to question his conditioning, stamina, and endurance. Are those flashy moves taking a little bit out of him when really they should be taking nothing out of him? Is his punch resistance not what it needs to be at that top level? If you do catch him, will he unravel quite quickly?”
“I like Ben Whittaker. I like the way he shapes up, the style. The knockout wins of late – are they a tiny bit generous in what they now spell? Maybe he’s not the murderous puncher that the record suggests … There’s still more to come and we’re fascinated.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn did not rule out a rematch next, after both Whittaker and Wallace expressed their interest.
