Andy Lee says Ben Whittaker was sick with COVID in the week leading up to his unanimous decision win over Conor Wallace, offering an explanation for the late-fight wobble that nearly cost him the IBF light heavyweight final eliminator.
Whittaker’s trainer made the claim after the fight at Utilita Arena in Birmingham, according to Uncrowned’s live coverage on Yahoo Sports. “This man had COVID last week. He was in bed,” Lee said. “I swear to god, we will have the rematch.” BoxingWire has not seen confirmation of the illness from Whittaker himself.
The timing matters because of how the fight played out. Whittaker, now 13-0-1, won 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113, and he controlled the opening nine rounds behind his jab and movement. Then Wallace found his range with the southpaw left, swarmed him in the 12th, and had Whittaker hanging on to the final bell. No knockdowns were scored.
Whittaker has offered a different explanation. He admitted afterward that he took his eye off the ball and said the fight was “too easy” for stretches. That sets up a tension between corner and fighter: Lee points to a physical cause, while Whittaker pointed to a mental lapse. Neither version makes the final three rounds look better against the level of opponent he will face next.
The stakes are big. Whittaker is now the IBF mandatory challenger for the winner of Dmitry Bivol vs. Callum Smith on December 12, though Eddie Hearn has suggested the shot may not arrive until next summer. Wallace, now 17-2, called for a rematch, and Hearn did not rule one out.
For the full account of the night, read BoxingWire’s Whittaker vs. Wallace results recap. The two also had to be separated by security at their face-off earlier in the week, so the heat for a second fight is already there.
