Ben Whittaker banked nine rounds of superior boxing, then endured three rounds that exposed the work still ahead of him.
Whittaker defeated Conor Wallace by scores of 117–111, 116–112 and 115–113, surviving a dangerous finish to secure the victory. Winning the IBF light heavyweight final eliminator puts him in the mandatory position for the winner of Dmitry Bivol against Callum Smith.
Source: talksport.com.
For most of the fight, Whittaker’s speed, distance control and shot selection made the difference. He stepped into range, landed and exited before Wallace could respond consistently. His body jab helped set up the looping hook, while straight rights and changes of level kept the southpaw guessing.
The opening round was quiet, but Whittaker’s activity earned him the edge. From the second onward, his body work and sharper offense established control. Wallace maintained his defensive structure but offered too little with his jab and waited too often for a counter.
That hesitation allowed Whittaker to choose the pace. Wallace would attempt a single shot, miss or get countered, then hesitate again. Whittaker repeatedly attacked and reset without having to deal with sustained pressure.
Wallace was credible opposition. His BoxRec profile showed him at No. 15, and he entered the contest ranked No. 2 by the IBF. Those rankings measure different things, but Whittaker was facing a genuine contender.
Source: www.matchroomboxing.com.
S³’s first concern appeared in round eight. Whittaker was still winning, but his punches were beginning to look sloppier. The early sharpness was fading before Wallace fully changed the fight’s rhythm.
Wallace finally increased his aggression in the tenth. His jab and straight left started landing cleanly, and he followed his attacks instead of stopping after one attempt. Whittaker struggled to restore the distance that had made the earlier rounds so comfortable.
The eleventh brought more success for Wallace. Whittaker still landed some good replies, but repeatedly traded when returning to his boxing offered a clearer route to finishing the contest safely.
The twelfth was Wallace’s strongest round by a substantial margin. Whittaker was hurt repeatedly, his legs looked unstable, and his punches had lost their shape. He twisted, grabbed and moved to reach the bell. Surviving deserves credit, but the finish raised serious questions about his concentration, energy management and ability to adjust.
S³ scored the fight 116–111 for Whittaker:
- Whittaker won rounds 1–9, each 10–9.
- Wallace won rounds 10 and 11, each 10–9.
- Wallace won round 12, 10–8.
The 10–8 reflected sustained punishment and Whittaker spending much of the round surviving. A knockdown is not required for that score under ABC judging guidance when the dominance is sufficiently decisive.
Source: abcboxing.com.
The official 117–111 card best matched our nine-to-three reading, with our wider margin coming from the 10–8 final round. 115–113 was considerably closer than the fight looked on the S³ card.
Afterward, Whittaker called the fight “too easy” and acknowledged losing concentration, playing too much and looking outside the ring. That admission supports the criticism of his excessive showboating. His useful movement creates angles and defensive exits. The extra antics become costly when they distract him from managing the opponent.
Trainer Andy Lee said Whittaker had COVID the previous week and had been in bed. That provides possible context for the fatigue, so this fight alone cannot establish a recurring stamina problem. His late fade and difficulty responding to pressure still need attention.
Wallace also has a lesson to take home. If his intention was to take Whittaker deep, he surrendered too many rounds while waiting. His toughness and late aggression gave him an opportunity, but he needed sustained offense much earlier.
| S³ category | Score |
|---|---|
| Quality of Opposition | 18/25 |
| Performance | 20/25 |
| Championship Stakes | 22/25 |
| Boxing IQ | 18/25 |
| Total | 78/100 |
Whittaker earned strong marks for controlling the first nine rounds and securing a mandatory opportunity. His lost concentration and failure to adjust cost him points.
S³ prefers a top-ten opponent next. Whittaker’s next performance needs to show that he can maintain his discipline and respond effectively when an opponent raises the pressure over twelve rounds.
