Groves: Whittaker's KO Power in Doubt After Wallace Scare
George Groves questions Ben Whittaker's knockout power after a late scare vs Conor Wallace in Birmingham despite securing a Bivol mandatory shot.
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Ben Whittaker's knockout reputation took a hit in the eyes of George Groves after the unbeaten light heavyweight needed a desperate final round to get past Conor Wallace on Saturday in Birmingham.
Whittaker won a unanimous decision to improve to 13-0-1 and lock up the IBF mandatory position, but it was Wallace, now 17-2, who had the Olympic silver medalist in serious trouble down the stretch. Groves wasn't buying the highlight reel anymore.
"The knockout wins of late, are they a tiny bit generous in what they now spell? Maybe he's not the murderous puncher that the record suggests," Groves said on his YouTube channel.
Why Is Ben Whittaker's Power Being Questioned Now?
Groves' skepticism centers on the level of opposition behind those finishes. Braian Nahuel Suarez had lost three of his previous six fights before Whittaker stopped him, and Richard Rivera came in off a roughly 17-month layoff, having beaten fighters who carried records of 17-8-1 and 11-11-1 into those wins. Those are the names that built Whittaker's knockout aura, and Groves is arguing the aura outpaced the resistance that produced it.
It's not the first time the pattern showed up. Before the ring-apron fall that ended his first fight with Liam Cameron in chaos and overshadowed everything else that night, Whittaker was already struggling to handle the pressure Cameron, a sub-world-level operator, was putting on him.
What Actually Happened Against Conor Wallace
Wallace refused to play the role of a feeder opponent. Rather than waiting to get picked apart by the faster man, he worked alongside Whittaker in exchanges and kept landing even when Whittaker landed first. Whittaker's upright retreats and tendency to grab and hold, mostly cosmetic issues against lesser operators, turned into real liabilities once Wallace closed the gap and backed him toward the ropes. Whittaker got through it and the hand got raised, but the final round exposed exactly the habits his promoters never had to stress-test in a showcase slot.
Betting Angle
Whittaker now sits in line for Dmitry Bivol, the WBA/WBC light heavyweight champion who is tied to a winner of Bivol vs. Callum Smith. Whatever number sportsbooks eventually hang on that matchup, Saturday's tape is exactly what oddsmakers and bettors will be replaying. A fighter who can be hit clean, backed into the ropes, and nearly stopped by a true comeback artist is a different betting proposition against Bivol than the record alone suggests. Expect the market to price in durability and ring IQ against the champion as much as it prices in Whittaker's hand speed, and expect sharp bettors to treat his knockout stats with real caution until he beats someone who can actually test his chin for twelve rounds rather than three or four.
Whittaker got the result and the mandatory slot he wanted. The version of him that showed up in the twelfth round is the one Bivol's camp will be studying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Ben Whittaker win his fight against Conor Wallace?
Yes, Ben Whittaker won by unanimous decision over Conor Wallace in Birmingham, improving to 13-0-1 and securing the IBF mandatory position for Dmitry Bivol.
Why did George Groves question Ben Whittaker's power?
George Groves argued on his YouTube channel that Whittaker's recent knockout wins came against fighters in poor form or long layoffs, and that Conor Wallace's late rally showed Whittaker's chin and ring habits still need work.
Who will Ben Whittaker fight next?
Ben Whittaker is in the mandatory position for the winner of Dmitry Bivol's fight with Callum Smith for the light heavyweight title, though no fight date has been set.
