Whittaker wins IBF eliminator after Wallace’s late pressure

Ben Whittaker won a unanimous decision over Conor Wallace in their IBF light-heavyweight eliminator in Birmingham, securing the mandatory position for a future title opportunity, after Wallace mounted a strong late challenge that raised questions about Whittaker’s response to sustained pressure. Whittaker controlled much of the 12-round bout with his speed and movement, but Wallace found greater success in the later rounds. One account described Wallace landing a left hand that appeared to trouble Whittaker in the 10th round; he pressed the attack again in the final round, and Whittaker reached the bell. The judges awarded Whittaker the win, with reported scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113. There was no official knockdown ruling. A report disputed the referee’s handling of three moments in the final round, arguing that Wallace’s attacks should have counted as knockdowns. That was an assessment of the action, not an official change to the bout result. The available accounts do not resolve the disagreement. Whittaker said after the fight that he had not been hurt and attributed his sluggish finish to taking his eye off the ball.