Olympic silver medalist and future boxing superstar Ben Whittaker took another stunning stoppage in the third professional fight of his career, sending a resilient opponent in Jordan Grant tumbling to the canvas and unable to answer the referee’s count just seconds into the 3rd round with a savage left hook to the temple.
Whittaker totally outclassed Grant across the short amount of time the fight lasted, intelligently forcing him into the corner of the ring with footwork and firing off crisp, fast shots to the head and body without allowing Grant to return fire for even a second, minimising all risk. This culminated with a perfect 1-2 from Whittaker straight through the middle of Grant’s guard at the end of the 2nd round that almost ended the fight, but Grant battled on for the start of the 3rd, where he was then beaten into submission.
With his unquestionable self-confidence, brash style in and out the ring, and a penchant for showboating to his opponents, Ben Whittaker has already become a marmite figure in boxing. But everyone, whether they love him or hate him, can’t deny he is one of the world’s finest boxing talents and looks destined for greatness in professional boxing.
Ben Whittaker said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I came out here just to have fun. All these people paid their hard-earned money, I wanted to give them a show. I could have got it done in 20 seconds but I thought we’ll go a bit longer. I’ve done the rounds in camp, it’s only right.”
Tyler Denny did successfully survive this assault, showing true grit to do so, leaving McGowan with little left in the tank to put the same level of pressure on a slowed Denny for the final two rounds.
In the end the fight was razor close, and the division in the opinion of the judges reflected this, and while Tyler Denny ended the fight with his hand raised, both men showed they deserved their place fighting for a title.
Tyler Denny said to Sky Sports after the fight: “I knew this would be my toughest fight. He came for it tonight. I thought I was cruising through the fight after six rounds, but then he came on strong from there to the end. Listen to that hometown crowd backing me as well.”
Sean McComb def. Kaisee Benjamin – UD (97-94, 97-93, 96-95)
Sean McComb retained his WBO European Super Lightweight fight in an epic 10-round war with the massively talented Kaisee Benjamin, in a fight that had action from the first bell to the very last.
McComb took control of the fight from the first round, using his longer reach to pepper Benjamin with big shots across the first three rounds that left Benjamin reeling and with a seriously damaged nose. But Kaisee Benjamin showed tremendous grit to grow into the fight as it went on, trading in the middle rounds and then taking control in the final rounds after slowing McComb down with savage bodyshots. However, McComb hung on well and had done enough to take a unanimous decision victory on the judges’ scorecards.
Both men showed they deserved their spot at the top of British boxing in this fight, and both will have earned anyone watching this fight’s respect and adoration from now on.
Sean McComb said to Sky Sports after the fight: “Thanks to all my fans who have came over with me from Belfast. I knew I’d take this massive opportunity and take the victory here. I would love to fight on Sky Sports again.”
Shakan Pitters def. Joel McIntyre – PTS (80-72)
6 foot 6 inch tall Light Heavyweight giant Shakan Pitters gave an astute performance to win every single round against a tough opponent in Joel McIntyre who came to win. Pitters used his piston-like jab to great effect across the fight, keeping McIntyre at bay and unable to land any shots, no matter how hard he tried to close the distance.
Pitters used his height and reach advantages very well throughout the fight, controlling the distance smartly and choosing his moments to move forward and inflict damage on McIntyre to perfection. Multiple times throughout the fight, most prominently in the 4th and 6th rounds, Pitters hurt McIntyre with big right hands, but again returned to his highly successful jab rather than become reckless.
Pitters will now be hungry to fight for a British title once again, and mix it up with some of the best Light Heavyweights in the country, as he has done in the past.
Cori Gibbs def. Jimmy First – PTS (78-74)
BOXXER Series winner and Lightweight prospect Cori Gibbs avenged the bizarre first loss of his otherwise perfect career to move to 18-1 as a professional by beating the highly talented Jimmy First. Gibbs suffered the first loss of his career to First in December 2022 in a fight that saw Gibbs deducted three points across the course of the fight for losing his gumshield.
These circumstances make Gibbs’s calm, collected performance, where he used skilled footwork to consistently land shots on Jimmy First without taking any in return. First charged forward doggedly in the second half of the fight, and was able to do some damage when he moved into range, but Gibbs stayed composed and saw out the fight for a points victory.
Danny Quartermaine def. Christian Lopez Flores – TKO Rd 4 (2:58)
Exciting young prospect Danny Quartermaine earned the third stoppage victory of his career to move to 9-0 in a fight that introduced him to boxing fans across the UK in impressive style. Quartermaine, heartily cheered on by hundreds of passionate fans, totally outclassed a 40-fight veteran in Christian Lopez Flores, knocking him down twice before the referee felt Flores couldn’t continue in the final seconds, much to Flores’s protestations.
Quartermaine looks set to rise quickly through the ranks of British boxing. With solid boxing skill, genuine knockout punch power, and a large number of impassioned fans, there could be no limit to how far he could go.
Full Card Results:
Joshua Buatsi def. Pavel Stepian –
Lauren Price def. Kirstie Bavington – UD (100-90, 100-90, 100-90)
Ben Whittaker def. Jordan Grant – KO Rd 3 (0:13)
Tyler Denny def. Macaulay McGowan – SD (96-94, 96-94, 93-97)
Sean McComb def. Kaisee Benjamin – UD (97-94, 97-93, 96-95)
Shakan Pitters def. Joel McIntyre – PTS (80-72)
Cori Gibbs def. Jimmy First – PTS (78-74)
Danny Quartermaine def. Christian Lopez Flores – TKO Rd 4 (2:58)
