Whittaker earns Bivol title shot after Wallace test

Whittaker survives late scare as Wallace eyes rematch

Ben Whittaker weathered a tough night last night and has now secured his spot in a World Championship elimination bout. Ben Whittaker was completely on the ropes in the 12th and final round, briefly letting his opponent back into the fight. The tough underdog Conor Wallace had barely seen the light at the start and only really got into the fight as his opponent slowly ran out of steam. However, this comeback came too late, and Ben Whittaker secured a unanimous decision victory and, with it, the spot as mandatory challenger against the unified WBA-IBF and WBO light heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol. Unfortunately, the two won’t face off until late 2027 or early 2028, pending other bouts. That naturally raises the question of what’s next for Ben Whittaker in the meantime. A rematch against Conor Wallace is certainly a possibility. Eddie Hearn, Ben Whittaker’s promoter, sees it that way as well.

"The one thing we have wanted desperately is rounds, and wow did we get them tonight. Especially the 12th and even the 11th, that was tough work. Conor went for it; he started a bit slow, and Ben was boxing beautifully. And we know now that Ben is in position to fight the winner of Dmitry Bivol vs Callum Smith [tentatively penciled in for December 12]. But it's very likely that won't be until at least next summer. Conor will fancy his chances coming back, and you have seen the support he has brought tonight; the rematch will be a big, big fight. With the end of that fight, why not look at that? He deserves another chance"

he said.

Conor Wallace definitely deserves this chance. If he can manage, in their next bout, to apply the pressure he’s built up in the last few rounds earlier on, he could make this fight even more exciting. He and his team will surely work on a strategy that achieves exactly that. We can only wait with bated breath to see how that plays out in the rematch. What do you think?

I think a rematch is exactly the right move for both sides. It also makes perfect sense for Ben Whittaker, since a win would be the perfect way for him to prepare for an upcoming title fight. I’m really excited to see what happens next.