Ben Whittaker is officially next in line. Whittaker controls the majority of the fight before surviving a late push from Conor Wallace to secure a unanimous decision victory and become the mandatory challenger for Dmitry Bivol’s IBF world title. The biggest test of his career got difficult late, but Whittaker passed it. Is he ready for Bivol?
Ben Whittaker has moved to the front of the line for a shot at Dmitry Bivol's IBF world title. Whittaker beat Conor Wallace by unanimous decision, a result that makes him the mandatory challenger for Bivol's belt.
Whittaker controlled the majority of the contest, working from the front foot and keeping Wallace on the back foot through the early and middle rounds. Wallace came alive late, mounting a push that threatened to turn a comfortable night into a nervy one. Whittaker weathered that surge and held on to take the decision on the scorecards.
It was the toughest examination of his career to date, and the closing stretch made it harder than the opening rounds suggested. How he handled that late pressure will be a talking point as he looks ahead to a far bigger assignment.
Why it matters
- Whittaker now holds mandatory challenger status for Bivol's IBF title, putting a world championship fight on his horizon.
- The late push from Wallace showed some vulnerability when pressure arrives in the closing rounds, an issue he would need to solve against a champion of Bivol's caliber.
- Surviving a difficult finish and still winning clearly on the cards adds credibility to his claim as the next challenger.
The step up from Wallace to Bivol is a significant one. Bivol is the reigning titleholder, and Whittaker's performance, strong for most of the fight but shakier at the end, leaves open the question of whether he is fully prepared for that level of opposition. For now, he has done what was required to earn his place as the man next in line.
