Can Whitaker Continue Climb Up Light-Heavyweight Ranks Against Wallace?

 

One of the things about covering the sport of Boxing and by extension combat sports as a whole that this observer personally enjoys is having the opportunity to see fighters at various stages in their careers. In the technological age we are presently in, it often allows such observation and in my case, coverage of a fighter to begin at the early stages of one's career where you are looking to see what fighters have the potential to become legitimate prospects as they move towards trying to become a contender with the eventual goal to fight for a world championship. The climb for such fighters up the ladder of contention can vary and in a sport where there are multiple avenues for a fighter to get into position to challenge for a world title, it can often come down to what opportunities are available and when. 

A fighter that appears to be on the cusp of fighting for a world title in the not too distant future is undefeated Light-Heavyweight contender Ben Whitaker. Whitaker, a native of West Bromwich, England, turned pro in 2022 after winning a Silver medal in the delayed 2020 Olympics in the summer of 2021 and like many fighters who have been able to benefit from the exposure and prestige the Olympics carry, he has been able to rise up the rankings quickly in beginning his career unbeaten in thirteen professional fights with twelve wins, nine of those wins coming by knockout, and one draw and has been rated number two in the world in the World Boxing Council (WBC) Light-Heavyweight ratings. While still having a somewhat limited resume as a professional, Whitaker would appear as though he might be on the short list of potential world title challengers as 2027 nears. Before any discussion of Whitaker possibly fighting for a world title can occur, he will take the next step in his career when he faces top Light-Heavyweight contender Conor Wallace on October 3rd at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, England in a twelve round bout that can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. 

What this fight boils down to is simply two top contenders nearing a world title opportunity, each taking a gamble by facing each other, with both likely looking at a win over the other as the catalyst to earn that opportunity. Much like Whitaker, Wallace has gone from highly touted prospect to highly rated contender and also shares the similarity of being rated number two in the world in the 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division, with his ranking being recognized by the International Boxing Federation (IBF). Although the process of how fighters are rated and the various policies and procedures of Boxing’s five major sanctioning organizations can at times be a source of confusion and often the subject of criticism and ridicule, the positive in this instance is two highly rated contenders are choosing to face each other rather than sit on their respective ranking and wait for a title shot to come to them. While it is a high-risk scenario for both fighters, it also offers potentially a high reward as well. The similarities between the two fighters do not end with their similar rankings.

Both fighters have similar records as Wallace has seventeen wins in eighteen professional fights. The one blemish for Wallace came in April 2021 when he lost a close majority decision to Emilio Leti for the Australian Light-Heavyweight championship.Since that fight, Wallace has rebounded to win his last ten bouts including a knockout of Leti in their November 2022 rematch. Wallace will enter this bout with a 17-1, with 12 Knockouts record.

Despite the similarity of the two fighters; records, rankings, and being at a similar stage in their careers, Wallace does have more experience and in addition to being a former Australian Light-Heavyweight champion, he has also won regional titles recognized by both the World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) respectively. Though regional championships in Professional Boxing are used as a vehicle to elevate a fighter into the world title picture, in this case it does indicate a fighter’s experience going into a fight like this.

The question here is whether Wallace will be able to use some of that slight experience to his advantage. To this point in Whitaker’s pro career he has not been tested, despite holding regional belts of his own in the division recognized by both the WBC and IBF. What Whitaker does have, however, is a significant pedigree that he earned in the amateurs that largely puts the onus on whether an opponent will be able to provide a stern test at this point in his career or if a test will come when if/when he gets an opportunity to challenge for a world championship. 

With the top of the Light-Heayweight division currently ruled by current world champions Dmitry Bivol and David Benavidez, this fight could amount to an unofficial elimination bout to determine who will be the next opponent for either Bivol or Benavidez.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

Whitaker vs. Wallace takes place on Saturday, October 3rd at the Utilita Arena in Manchester, England. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN available to both Standard and Ultimate subscribers beginning at 12PM ET/9AM PT with preliminary bouts, which will be followed by the main card that will begin at 2PM ET/11AM PT.

(*North American Start Times Only.* *Card and Start Times Subject to Change.*)

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com 

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Wallace Stop Wellem In 8

The recent times in Boxing’s 175lb. Light-Heavyweight division have centered around Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, the two long-reigning world champions of the division, who finally met in October of this year to determine the Undisputed World Light-Heavyweight championship. In what was a highly competitive fight, it was Beterbiev who emerged victorious by a razor thin decision. Both due to the competitive nature of that fight as well as a rematch clause, Beterbiev and Bivol will continue to be the focus as they will meet again in February 2025.

Outside of the top of the division where the focus remains on Beterbiev and Bivol, however, there are prospects and contenders looking to position themselves for potential lucrative bouts against either later in 2025 and beyond. One such fighter is rising prospect Conor Wallace. Wallace, a native of Newry, Northern Ireland, now based in Queensland, Australia, has quickly emerged as a fighter to watch and could well find himself in the mix among the top contenders, or Beterbiev, or Bivol sooner rather than later.

After establishing a record of 14-1, with 10 Knockouts, Wallace concluded his 2024 on Wednesday night when he faced the unbeaten, but largely unknown Asemahle Wellem at the Fortitude Music Hall in Queensland Australia. Despite coming into the fight with an undefeated record of 7-0-1, with 3 Knockouts, Wellem, a native of South Africa, was a bit of a mystery in the sense that there was not  footage that this observer could access prior to this bout of his previous fights, and all one could really go on without the benefit of film study, was simply the statistical figures in his record as well as the knowledge per that record that Wellem came into this fight off of a draw in his last bout in March against a fellow undefeated fighter named Selemani Kidunda in a fight fought in the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division.

Often when there is not much known about a fighter going into a bout, it can be difficult to get an idea as to what type of fight one could expect. Wellem would turn out to be a fighter who was quite awkward, but one that ended up providing Wallace with what turned out to be a significant test.

The early rounds saw both fighters looking to establish position, Wallace, a southpaw seeming to be the naturally bigger fighter and attempting to keep Wellem at distance with his longer reach. As tends to happen when a southpaw faces an orthodox fighter, there was no shortage of trips, unintentional, and perhaps intentional grappling between the two fighters throughout with Wallace often getting the worst of it in hitting the canvas and at times appearing to be thrown akin to what one would see in the sport of Judo. This was not aided by what appeared to be moisture on the canvas, which had both fighters having trouble periodically maintaining their footing.

Wellem did succeed for a time in being able to keep Wallace from finding a rhythm by frequently changing the levels of his attack from the head to the body as well as not over playing his hand in only taking opportunities as they came rather than being overly aggressive. As the fight progressed, Wallace managed to gradually apply tactical pressure, which opened up opportunities to land his left hand from the southpaw stance. This did not prevent him from getting caught in the fourth round and appearing to be hurt by a right hand by Wellem. Wallace would respond by landing a left hook to the body that forced Wellum to take a knee moments later. 

Perhaps because he had now felt the power of his opponent, Wellem would resort to a dirty tactic in the fifth round when while being separated by the referee, he hit Wallace in the back of the head, which caused an immediate point deduction for not only hitting on the break, but also hitting his opponent in the back of the head. The subject of potential scoring of the fight, however, would prove to be a moot point as Wallace continued to apply pressure and gradually land hard punches that affected Wellem.

In the eighth round Wallace would drop Wellem for the second time with a straight left hand. Although Wellem showed his mettle by getting up, he was clearly hurt, and Wallace sensing his opponent was in trouble, went for the finish. A follow-up combination sent Wellem down for a third and final time as the bout was promptly stopped. The fifthteeth victory in the career of Conor Wallace and his eighth straight win since suffering his only career setback in April 2021, earned him the WBA’s vacant Oceania Light-Heavyweight title, one of the regional championships used to elevate fighters into the world rankings who compete in the Asia-Pacific region of the world, not unlike fighters who win British titles in the United Kingdom or European championships throughout Europe, which all serve as a route for fighters to elevate themselves into the world rankings. 

More importantly, this win will serve Wallace well in terms of his development in the long-term. He did face an opponent here in Asemahle Wellem, who presented an awkward style that for a time proved difficult to combat. Furthermore, Wellem did test Wallace's ability to cope with being hurt and was not cooperative and kept fighting after being knocked down initially. While fights like this often serve better than a quick knockout in the long-term as far as a fighter’s development is concerned, the ability to cope with what some might view as an unexpected test and still accomplish the task of victory will also serve Wallace as he looks to progress against theoretically tougher competition with the goal of eventually challenging for a world championship.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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