Whittaker Escapes Disaster: Three Knockdowns But Still Wins IBF Eliminator

Ben Whittaker, a rising star in British boxing, survived a major scare to defeat Conor Wallace in an IBF light heavyweight title eliminator in Birmingham today [1, 2]. Whittaker, 29, was the favorite heading into the bout, which puts the winner in line for a world title fight [1, 2].

Whittaker dominated the first nine rounds of the fight, but then experienced a dramatic turn of events, falling to the canvas three times ^[1]. Despite the late-fight collapse, Whittaker managed to hold on to win by decision, with judges scoring the fight 117-111, 116-112, and 115-113.

Before the fight, Whittaker had an undefeated record of 12-0-1 with 9 knockouts, while Wallace entered the ring with a 17-1 record and 12 knockouts ^[2]. Whittaker had secured two knockout wins earlier this year.

The win is vital for Whittaker, who is being touted as the next superstar of British boxing ^[2]. His victory opens up several options for his future, including a potential move to cruiserweight to face David Benavidez.

Whittaker expressed his long-term ambition to move up through weight classes, stating he wants to dominate at light heavyweight first. He told reporters, "Light heavyweight is my weight. I did what I did at the amateurs at light heavyweight. I've stayed at light heavyweight as a pro. I want to do everything I possibly can here and then I would like to move up. I think it'd be good to go through the weights" ^[2].

He also hinted at a future move to heavyweight, saying, "You seen the size of my dad, I'll be a heavyweight soon as well, you know what I mean?" ^[2]. He acknowledged the privilege of being mentioned by Jose Benavidez Sr. and being considered for a fight with David Benavidez, but emphasized his focus on his own career path. The story was first reported by The Sun and ESPN.