Ben Whittaker Showboated Through Nine Rounds, Hit The Canvas THREE Times In The Last — And Still Won

Stop scrolling, because Birmingham just served up the wildest final round of the weekend, and it involved a string quartet, an airhorn and a very nervous Eddie Hearn.

Ben Whittaker was cruising. Then he really, REALLY wasn't. Yes, really.

The Tea ☕

• Whittaker beat Conor Wallace on points (117-111, 116-112, 115-113) in an IBF title eliminator, per BBC Sport.
• He hit the canvas three times in the 12th round, but none were ruled knockdowns, according to Sky Sports.
• He's now the mandatory challenger for IBF champ Dmitry Bivol.

The Entrance Alone Deserved An Award

Before a punch was thrown, Whittaker was already winning the night. BBC Sport reports he made his ring walk accompanied by a live string ensemble playing The Undertaker's theme, before switching to "Icon" by Karen. We are NOT okay, and we mean that as a compliment.

Despite being from nearby West Bromwich, he got as many jeers as cheers from the roughly 5,000 fans at the Utilita Arena. Wallace's travelling fans made noise too, only to be drowned out by an airhorn that someone smuggled into the arena. Hero behaviour.

Nine Rounds Of Pure Swagger

For the first half of the fight, it was the Whittaker show. The 29-year-old Olympic silver medallist controlled the distance, whipped in hard shots and sprinkled in his trademark showboating. Sky Sports says he looked so comfortably ahead through nine rounds that he seemed in total control.

He even briefly staggered Wallace in the third. Leon Edwards was ringside. Vibes: immaculate.

And Then It All Went Sideways

Wallace landed a heavy left in the sixth, and trainer Andy Lee issued a warning: "Stay focused. Just because you're comfortable, don't get lazy," as BBC Sport relays.

Whittaker steadied himself, but the 10th was a different story. Wallace punished him for holding his hands low with a thudding southpaw left, and Whittaker walked onto a huge shot.

Then came the 12th. Both outlets describe Whittaker reeling, lunging into clinches and tumbling to the canvas three times. The referee ruled none of them knockdowns. Wallace threw everything at a visibly tiring Whittaker, and for a moment a massive upset felt very possible.

The bell saved him, and so did the scorecards.

What Whittaker Said Afterwards

To his credit, he owned it. "It was too easy and I took my eye off the ball a little bit," he said, per BBC Sport. "When it got a bit too easy I was playing too much and doing silly antics."

Wallace, 30, called for an immediate rematch. Whittaker's reply: "If he wants to run it back and get a beat down again he can. If not, we'll move on." Bold for someone who spent round 12 on the floor, but we respect the confidence.

So What's Next?

Whittaker is now 13-0-1 as a pro and mandatory challenger for Bivol, who BBC Sport says is expected to face Liverpool's Callum Smith in December. Promoter Eddie Hearn said that fight likely won't come until next summer, so Whittaker needs a fight in between, and a Wallace rematch is clearly on the table.

The Undercard Had Moments Too

• Bilal Fawaz retained his British and Commonwealth titles with an eighth-round stoppage and pocketed a £5,000 bonus Hearn offered him earlier in the night.
• Hamza Uddin won the British title with an eighth-round finish.
• Odel Kamara, 22, made his pro debut with a stoppage win. Hearn's verdict: "Liverpool has a star."

One more lovely detail: BBC Sport says American Cassondra Gainey travelled nearly 4,000 miles to attend after Whittaker's videos lifted her spirits during cancer treatment.

So, the big question: is the showboating part of the magic, or is it going to cost him against someone like Bivol? Team Entertainer or Team Get Serious? Sound off below.

Sources: BBC Sport | Sky Sports