Ben Whittaker survives a late scare to outpoint Conor Wallace and secure IBF title shot

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Ben Whittaker is a step closer to a world title, but he did it the hard way. He beat Conor Wallace on points at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, winning the IBF light heavyweight final eliminator. The scorecards read 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113, all in Whittaker's favour. For most of the night it looked like a comfortable showcase, until a dramatic final round

Whittaker dominated the early and middle rounds with his speed and movement. Then Wallace launched a fierce assault in the last round, hurting Whittaker and forcing him to clinch, hold and wrestle to survive. At one point Whittaker tackled Wallace while struggling to stay upright. Some observers felt two or three knockdowns could have been called, though none were officially scored. It turned a routine win into a nervy finish

The win makes Whittaker the IBF mandatory challenger and keeps his WBC Silver title. He improves to 13-0-1, while Wallace drops to 17-2. The IBF belt is currently held by Dmitry Bivol, one of the best light heavyweights in the world. That is a huge step up from anyone Whittaker has faced so far

Boxing reports suggest Whittaker and trainer Andy Lee need to address what that final round exposed before facing Bivol. Whittaker's showboating style is entertaining, but his composure and defence looked shaky once he was hurt. Wallace deserves a lot of credit too, as he never stopped trying and nearly turned the fight around. The Olympic silver medallist has plenty of talent, but this was a reminder that flash is not enough at the top level

Was it a fair result? Whittaker clearly won most of the rounds, but that final round will worry his team. Is he ready for Bivol, or should he take another fight first? And should the referee have scored knockdowns in the last round?

Whittaker survives late scare to hold on for points win over Wallacewww.bbc.com