Ben Whittaker outpoints Conor Wallace after late scare in Birmingham

Ben Whittaker defeated Conor Wallace by unanimous decision over 12 rounds at Birmingham's Utilita Arena on Saturday, October 3. The result, listed by the British Boxing Board of Control, kept the British light-heavyweight unbeaten after a contest that became much more difficult for him in its closing stages.

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Sky Sports reported that Whittaker established control through his management of distance, landing forceful punches while Wallace struggled to disrupt his rhythm. For much of the opening nine rounds, the Olympic silver medallist appeared comfortably ahead. Wallace absorbed the punishment and remained in the contest, eventually finding opportunities as Whittaker's defence became more vulnerable.

The momentum shifted in the 10th round when Wallace hurt Whittaker with a heavy punch. His pressure continued into the final round, when Whittaker repeatedly sought to clinch as he struggled to steady himself. According to Sky Sports, Whittaker went to the canvas three times during the last round, but the referee did not classify any of those falls as knockdowns.

All three judges nevertheless favoured Whittaker, returning scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113. BBC Sport's report, republished by AOL, said the victory made him mandatory challenger for the IBF world title and took his professional record to 13 wins and one draw. Wallace, 30, suffered his second defeat in 19 professional bouts and asked for an immediate rematch.

Whittaker acknowledged afterwards that he had allowed his concentration to drop, saying he had indulged in unnecessary antics once the fight felt comfortable. His assessment followed a performance in which early command gave way to a battle to reach the final bell, with Wallace unable to overturn the lead on the judges' cards.

Promoter Eddie Hearn was receptive to another meeting, according to the BBC report. He said Whittaker was positioned to face the winner of Dmitry Bivol against Callum Smith, but suggested that opportunity would probably not arrive until the following summer. Hearn therefore indicated that Whittaker would need an intervening bout; a Wallace rematch remained a possibility rather than an announced fixture.