Ben “The Surgeon” Whittaker survived a difficult finish to defeat Conor Wallace by unanimous decision over 12 rounds at Utilita Arena in Birmingham on Saturday. The Matchroom Boxing card, promoted by Eddie Hearn, aired on DAZN.
Whittaker (13-0-1, 9 KOs), the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist from Darlaston, retained his WBC Silver light heavyweight title and secured the IBF mandatory position. Wallace (17-2, 12 KOs), a Northern Irish-born southpaw based in Brisbane, made him work hard to protect the lead he had built.
Whittaker controlled most of the first nine rounds before Wallace hurt him with a lead left to the chin in the tenth. Wallace’s success made the closing rounds increasingly difficult, although Whittaker steadied himself in the 11th.
In the 12th, Wallace hurt Whittaker badly and pressed for a stoppage. Whittaker repeatedly held and struggled to stay upright, with referee Kieran McCann separating the fighters as the home boxer tried to reach the bell. Several falls prompted questions about whether knockdowns should have been called, but none were officially recorded.
Whittaker won by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113. His early work secured the victory, but Wallace’s late attack exposed defensive weaknesses that will need attention before a world title fight.
Bilal Fawaz stops Eithan James
British and Commonwealth junior middleweight champion Bilal Fawaz (13-1-1, 5 KOs), of London, retained his titles by stopping Northampton’s Eithan James (17-3) at 1:14 of the eighth round of their scheduled 12-round contest.
Fawaz dropped James with a right hand to the chin, then scored another knockdown before referee Ron Kearney ended the fight. James suffered his first stoppage defeat, while Fawaz collected the £5,000 knockout bonus Hearn had offered before the bout.
Hamza Uddin takes Sean Bruce’s British title
Walsall’s Hamza “The Great” Uddin (8-0, 5 KOs) stopped British flyweight champion Sean Bruce (8-3), of Leicester, at 2:49 of round eight to claim the British and vacant Commonwealth titles.
Uddin scored two knockdowns in the fifth round, with Bruce beating referee Victor Loughlin’s counts and continuing to fight. A third knockdown, from a body shot in the eighth, ended the contest. Loughlin waved it off immediately, bringing Bruce’s first British title defense to a close.
Ibraheem Sulaimaan retains English title
Birmingham southpaw Ibraheem “Spider” Sulaimaan defeated Sonny Hardy (12-1, 5 KOs), of Wickford, by unanimous decision after 10 competitive rounds to retain his English super featherweight title.
There was little between them after six rounds, and referee Chris Dean deducted a point from Sulaimaan in the seventh. The champion finished strongly over the final three rounds to secure scores of 97-93, 97-93 and 96-93.
Hardy’s work in the middle rounds made the contest closer than the cards suggested to some ringside observers, with several scoring it narrowly and others favoring the challenger.
Aaron Bowen wins Midlands Area title
Aaron Bowen (9-1, 6 KOs), of Coventry, took the Midlands Area super middleweight title from Klinton Baptiste (5-1) by unanimous decision over 10 rounds.
Bowen repeatedly landed lead right hands from the third round onward, leaving Baptiste’s left eye badly swollen and nearly closed. Baptiste absorbed sustained punishment but lasted the distance as Bowen pursued a stoppage.
The scores were 99-91, 99-92 and 98-92.
Odel Kamara wins professional debut
Liverpool junior middleweight Odel “King” Kamara (1-0, 1 KO), a 2025 World Boxing champion, stopped Greece’s Thodoris Ritzakis (5-6-1) at 2:53 of the third round of their scheduled four-round bout.
Kamara dropped Ritzakis in the opening round, with referee Ryan Churchill administering an eight-count. In the third, Kamara landed a short uppercut in close before Churchill called a halt, with Ritzakis bleeding from the nose.
The stoppage drew criticism from some ringside observers for being premature. Kamara also looked tired early and left openings while loading up on power shots, making this a successful debut with room for improvement.
Harley Burrows stops Matias Ezequiel Herrera
Harley “The Beast” Burrows (3-0, 2 KOs) stopped Argentina’s Matias Ezequiel Herrera (8-9-2, 5 KOs) at 1:24 of round two in a scheduled six-round middleweight contest.
Burrows pressured Herrera and mixed punches to the head and body. With Herrera pinned against the ropes under a sustained attack, referee Ryan Churchill stepped in to end the fight.
Adam Maca overwhelms Rogger Rivera
Adam “The Mac” Maca (7-0, 6 KOs), an Albanian super featherweight based in Brighton, stopped Peru’s Rogger Rivera (3-6, 2 KOs) at 2:56 of round two in their scheduled six-round bout.
Maca overwhelmed Rivera with power shots until referee Chris Dean intervened. The 19-year-old produced another quick finish, suggesting he is ready for opposition that can offer more resistance.
Paige Murray edges Linzi Buczynskyj
Paige “Perfect” Murray (5-0), of Leicester, defeated Bolton’s Linzi Buczynskyj (6-13) over four two-minute rounds.
Murray controlled the opening round but had a point deducted by referee Chris Dean in the second for repeatedly pulling down Buczynskyj’s head. She won the third and fourth rounds to secure a 38-37 decision.
David Diamante served as the ring announcer.