BIRMINGHAM, England — Ben Whittaker passed the toughest test of his professional career Saturday, defeating Conor Wallace by unanimous decision in a light heavyweight title eliminator. The judges scored the fight 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113 in Whittaker’s favor.
For much of the bout, Whittaker’s unorthodox style and constant head movement troubled Wallace. He used feints, angles and lateral movement to create openings while keeping Wallace at range through the first nine rounds.
Wallace swung the momentum in Round 10, landing four consecutive right hands that clearly hurt Whittaker. He kept applying pressure over the final two rounds, pushing Whittaker onto the back foot and forcing him to hold repeatedly.
Whittaker, who went 12 rounds for the first time as a pro, spent the closing moments in survival mode. Still, the victory was enough to move him up one place in ESPN’s 175-pound rankings.
ESPN’s divisional rankings rank the best fighters in each weight class and are updated after significant results and performances. A fighter who announces a move to another division will only be ranked there, if warranted, once he actually competes in that weight class. Fighters who hold titles in two divisions can be ranked in both.
Fighters who have not fought in the past 12 months and have no bout scheduled are removed from the rankings until they return. Any fighter who tests positive for a performance-enhancing substance is also removed, though he can become eligible to re-enter the rankings after his next fight.