Whittaker survives late scare to beat Wallace on points in Birmingham

Ben Whittaker extended his unbeaten professional record to 13 wins and one draw with a unanimous decision over Conor Wallace at Birmingham's Utilita Arena on Saturday. The judges scored the IBF title eliminator 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113, making Whittaker the mandatory challenger for IBF champion Dmitry Bivol.

Whittaker controlled the early and middle rounds with superior boxing skill and trademark showboating, building a comfortable lead on the scorecards. The 29-year-old from West Bromwich staggered Wallace in the third round and appeared headed for a routine victory.

“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.”

The fight changed dramatically in the championship rounds. Wallace, a 30-year-old from Northern Ireland, rocked Whittaker with a heavy shot in the 10th round and nearly completed a remarkable comeback in the 12th. Whittaker was forced to hold on and survive until the final bell.

Whittaker admitted after the fight that he had taken his eye off the ball when the contest became too easy. He acknowledged getting caught with a good shot but insisted that is part of boxing. Wallace suffered the second defeat of his 19-fight career and immediately called for a rematch.

The victory positions Whittaker for a potential world title shot against Bivol, who also holds the WBA 'super' and WBO belts. Bivol is expected to face Liverpool's Callum Smith in December before any mandatory defence could be ordered.