MORE BOXING FIGHTS: https://www.boxingfightsvideos.com
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/boxingfvideos_
FACEBOOK FAN PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/boxingfvideos1/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/boxingfvideos_/
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/boxingfvideos_
FACEBOOK FAN PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/boxingfvideos1/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/boxingfvideos_/
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Okay gentlemen, I play my commands. In the event of a knockdown, the fighter standing will go to the furthest corner and stay there.
00:09Protect yourself at all times. Touch gloves.
00:30So here we go. They scheduled for 10 rounds or fewer. Whittaker in the grey and black. Aronika in the green and white of Nigeria.
00:50Whittaker looking to try and get into that jab immediately and then copper back right hand. A little shake of the head there from Aronika.
00:57Whittaker just going up and down with the jab. Looking to time the right hand over the top of Aronika's jab.
01:24I don't want to speak too soon, but we potentially could see a different Ben Whittaker here. I think he's annoyed that Ezra's got this opportunity from shouting his mouth off in a press conference.
01:35So we might see a little bit more on the ball, a little bit less of the showboating, although I'm sure it will come.
01:48Whittaker just looking to try and kill that right hand in around the back of the guard. On the jab, looking to set up those attacks. He's been boxing for a really long time, Whittaker.
01:57He was such a good amateur, of course, he knows that you have to earn your openings. If you just go out there bombing, then you can make life difficult for yourself.
02:07He's just looking to get on top of Aronika right from the off here, Matt. Not giving any kind of encouragement and then break him down.
02:14Yeah, exactly. Backing him up there, looking for the right hand over the top of that jab. Putting him in his box, putting him in his place.
02:21Take any sting out of him, any initial sting, although it hasn't shown too much of it already. Aronika, he's targeting the body, but he's been quite passive here so far.
02:34Yeah, Whittaker going to look to try and break him up with a jab, body shots.
02:50I was expecting a more aggressive start from Aronika, who's, you know, he talked the talk all week.
02:56I think he's done okay, actually, in this opening round so far. Aronika, he's not been super expansive, as you say, Matt, but he's kept things nice and tight.
03:09This is an altogether different scenario for him compared to the people he's boxed previously, where he has looked to be aggressive.
03:15He has come over the top of that front foot a bit, leaned in and let Rotam's go. He's intelligent enough to know that if he does that against Whittaker, then, well, he will be falling right into the surgeon's scalpel.
03:33He's playing him at his own game. Here we go.
03:37And that is good to see. That is good to see. A little bit of a nod there from Whittaker, almost, as the first round comes to an end. He's got some confidence about him, Aronika, no question about that.
03:50There we go. Jab, quickie. Keep placing it. Feints and touches. Again, set your cleaning scores off. Stay behind your jab. Keep working your feints and your touches, just to set it off.
04:12I don't want you wasting anything. I want you placing your work. Breathe with it. Keep opening him up with the jab. Place your work.
04:27Another one.
04:33Second time. Round two.
04:35Plenty of attendance at Selhurst Park.
04:40This place just filling up and most people taking their seats because Whittaker is not somebody you want to miss. He has gathered that reputation very, very quickly.
04:56It's a nice jab to the body from Aronika.
05:02I think he's going to look to try and set the right hand over the top off that jab to the body.
05:10Just let that right hand go there, Whittaker. Off the back of the jab, just dip the knees, shot it through nice and straight. Aronika, though, just dipped his own knees, let it slide over his shoulder.
05:27That's a good jab from Whittaker, up from the waist.
05:32It's razor sharp, it comes in and out quick, it goes back. It comes back a bit low on occasion, but because he's got such good reactions at this level, it doesn't really matter.
05:57Nice right hand into the body there from Whittaker, doubled up on the jab and then went underneath.
06:04When you like how he does it or not, when you actually break down the skills of Whittaker, his jabs are brilliant. He mixes the speed up, he changes where he's hitting, it could be head, could be body.
06:26When you break it down, he's brilliant at what he does, whether you like how he does it or not.
06:32Well, he loves to please the crowd, Whittaker, entertain the crowd and enjoy himself, but you look at his fights and he builds into the fight.
06:40He looks to establish the jab, then put the right hand on the back of it and then bit by bit become more expansive, as he did there with those couple of combinations.
06:47He doesn't just go out there bombing, looking for that one punch finish, because yes, that can happen sometimes, but you can never rely on that, so he does all of the spade work now.
06:57Yes, I don't think he's a particularly heavy, concursive, one-punch power kind of guy, but he's very accurate, very sharp and he's going to walk you on to shots and that kind of power.
07:16A very good timing, accuracy spot on, like I say, great speed, good sharpness.
07:21Closing stages of round two, Aronika, about 30 seconds ago, just a little bit of play acting himself, looking like he might have been stomach swaying slightly when he wasn't.
07:52You've got better things to do.
07:53It's easy. Immediate hydration with SPF 15 protection. Nivea Men's Sensitive Moisturizer.
08:00Breaking news. Duracell, the official burger of Williams Racing.
08:05It's time for a power boost. I've got to train harder.
08:12Power boost activated.
08:17Try Duracell Optima for the next level of power.
08:22He's old enough to know better.
08:28But that's what it's about. It's a night out and this is a unique occasion. The first time they've had big time boxing at Crystal Palace and it's 100 years, so why not?
08:38Anthony Farnell in the Aronika corner in between rounds, telling him, you're doing well, you're doing really, really well. Just try and work to the body. Keep things tight. Keep things compact. Don't give anything away.
08:58I don't think anyone wants to lose the first two rounds, but when you've got the 10 rounds, it's not the end of the world.
09:04You can't pull them back.
09:14Yeah, I think from Aronika's point of view, you're boxing someone who's as sharp as Ben Whitson. You probably know the first two rounds you're going to lose just to get the timing, just to get the distance, just to try and get the reading of him.
09:23Because as confident as Aronika is, and as sure of himself as he comes across, as he reaches for a long right hand there, this is a big step up. And what you want in the early stages is just to get that confidence that you can handle this.
09:43He's the person that's talked himself into this situation, and you've got to be careful what you wish for when you do that.
10:13Oh, but Aronika looks to try and find that catch scene with an overhand right there.
10:28The uppercut wasn't far away from Whittaker.
10:30But Aronika looking to try and close that gap, looking to try and move in on Whittaker, lets the right hand go again there, catches him on the shoulder.
10:47He's trying to walk in with a high guard with his hands so he can get there where he needs to be to let the bent arm big shots go. Because his physicality, he looks big, strong and muscular.
11:01He's in combination there for Whittaker, the final punch was the left uppercut just slightly off the straight, didn't quite land.
11:18He threads them through nicely through the gaps.
11:22Even when he throws that left hook to the body he really gets right round the back of the elbow.
11:29Aronika just backing up here, I wonder if a body shot has hurt him there just a few seconds beforehand because he started to retreat.
11:35I think Whittaker has sensed it, final few seconds of the round, he's trying to tuck up on the ropes there Aronika.
11:43And that's the first sign I think there that Whittaker has just got to him.
11:47That's the way to win.
12:18Let's have fast shots go, all round the side and that.
12:20Yeah there's that body shot.
12:21Keep chopping, keep right hand.
12:23He finds the gaps, threads the shot through, beautiful left uppercut there.
12:33Second time, round four.
12:36Into the fourth it's scheduled for ten, the IBF international title at light heavyweight on the line.
12:41Ben Whittaker in the denim, Ezra Aronika in the sparkling green and white of his native Nigeria.
12:55Went to America at the age of 14 with the family, graduated high school there, then came to the UK.
13:02He's been up and down the country at times, through his education, just about to complete a PhD.
13:10So he will be Dr Aronika before too long, but he's pursued that boxing career as well.
13:17Mostly outside of the UK up until this point, but this will announce him to a few people, particularly if he can keep this going.
13:25He's losing these rounds, but he's organised.
13:28He's certainly got himself into very good shape and he is trying to get off wherever he can.
13:34Whittaker just dipping in and out with that front foot.
13:36Aronika just flinging in a big overhand right then.
13:54Another right hand into the body and it's exactly those kinds of shots which are going to start to take a toll on Aronika.
14:01We saw one body shot hurt him towards the end of the previous round and they're sharp, accurate punches.
14:08Good counter right hand there and again goes downstairs.
14:17Where Aronika's coming in with the high guard, he's just taking it round the side like the hook that we've just seen then.
14:24He's coming in with a high guard, elbows in, but he's leaving big gaps around the side and Ben's just touching him up.
14:31And when he brings the elbows in, he's just whacking him around the side.
14:40Into the final minute of round four.
14:42Whittaker leading off with a left hook and then just trying to sit down on the right hand a little bit.
15:01Trying to get that jab away every now and again Aronika, but he hasn't done all that much punching in this round.
15:07I think that's fair to say.
15:09The reason is that most of the time when he tries something he gets caught, but not there.
15:13Nice one right hand and then the uppercut just caught Whittaker a glancing blow.
15:19That's what he needs to do more of, just throw more shots at him.
15:22Ben's not a person that you can throw two shots at.
15:24He's going to, he's going to, Bobby's going to weave, he's going to move fast.
15:27You've got to go and go again.
15:31Yeah, too sharp, which occurred to catch with singles. You have to put combinations together.
15:40Decent finish to the round there from Aronika.
15:44That'll give him some encouragement for another round that was controlled by Whittaker.
15:58Sometimes touches, other times power shots.
16:03Okay.
16:08Have a breathe, have a drink.
16:13Okay.
16:22Big deep breath, big deep breath.
16:23You want to jab those knees right hand downstairs.
16:25Then if he's scruffy, he's scruffy.
16:28Hold it, right, you scare him.
16:30Hold it right over the top.
16:33Second time, round five.
16:35This is their first fight together, Aronika and Anthony Farnell.
16:39Farnell a really good pro himself on that Manchester scene in the early 2000s particularly.
16:51Break it down with the chop.
16:54Yes.
17:06Aronika a bit more aggressive at the start of round five.
17:09He felt one to the body there with the left hand of Whittaker.
17:14But as Tash has been saying, he's trying to keep that guard high.
17:17He's got nice long arms.
17:18So when he tucks up those elbows, those forearms do cover that body pretty well.
17:27And he's trying to get a few more punches off Whittaker.
17:30Just caught by a long right hand there.
17:49Watch your eyes out.
17:54Time for right hand to the body.
17:55Nicely there, Whittaker.
18:07It could be one of those cases here, Matt,
18:09that Whittaker kind of wants Aronika to be a bit more ambitious possibly
18:15because when he's tucking up and looking to keep things tight the Nigerian,
18:19he's got a good solid shape to him.
18:21Good right hand there for Whittaker.
18:22But from what I've seen of him,
18:23when he looks to get on the front for the really let his hands go,
18:26that's when the technique can come apart slightly.
18:29Yeah, he's got really long arms, hasn't he?
18:31So he can block, you know, the body shots.
18:33He can block the solar plexus and the floating rib area.
18:36It's very difficult to, although Ben has hurt into the body,
18:39he has got around the back.
18:40He's going to have to open him up with combinations of those and feints.
18:55Great job by Whittaker.
18:59Ben just dipped those knees and sailed underneath the left hand for Aronika.
19:10Heading towards half way.
19:11One right hand there for Aronika.
19:22Doubling up on that left hand to the body.
19:24You can hear it dod into the torso and rib cage of Aronika.
19:30Final few seconds of round five.
19:36Main event still to come, of course,
19:38Chris Willems-Smith up against Richard Riakpour.
19:41Defending his WBO World Cruiserweight title.
19:48In that very squared circle.
19:58There is Riakpour, just loosening up.
20:02The trainer, Angel Fernandes.
20:05The world title fight has been a while coming.
20:09He was in the frame to fight Jair Wittaya last summer.
20:12That didn't happen in the end.
20:18But he's got what he wanted.
20:21Which is Chris Willems-Smith.
20:24And Selhurst Park.
20:28Ten seconds.
20:33Seconds out.
20:34Round six.
20:43So into the second half of the fight we go.
20:46Whittaker in the denim.
20:47Aronika in the green and white.
20:50There's that left to the body again there.
20:52I think Aronika just managed to deflect that one with the elbow.
20:57What would you like to see more of possibly from Whittaker here, Matt?
21:01He's in with somebody who has come in top condition.
21:04Who has come with a game plan.
21:06Who knew that he was going to be up against it.
21:08And that he couldn't afford to give anything away.
21:11And he's booking in for a long job here, Whittaker, really.
21:15Yeah, like I said, Aronika's got those long arms.
21:18So he's got a really tight defense.
21:20So I'd like to see more of that.
21:22Aronika's got those long arms.
21:23So he's got a really tight defense.
21:25So I'd like to see Ben open him up.
21:28Be creative.
21:30You know, they'll put combinations together.
21:32You're going to have to, you know, single shots.
21:34Even doubles aren't really going to get through.
21:36So he's got to, you know, put four or five punch combinations together.
21:39Feints.
21:40And really open this guy up and work the body.
21:46He was short with the right hand there, Aronika.
21:48And fell forward rather.
21:53And if he'd just been able to give himself a little bit of space there, Whittaker,
21:56he could maybe have caught him.
21:58He does have that habit when he commits to those punches on the front foot,
22:01he comes over the top of it.
22:03Whittaker with a neat combination there.
22:05And then a nice left hand, a couple of left hands,
22:07and some very smooth upper body movement.
22:23They're great body shots.
22:25Great touch to the body.
22:27Just taps it up the middle.
22:29Makes him move his elbows in and just whacks it around the side.
22:35And he's taken them fairly well, Aronika.
22:37That doesn't necessarily mean that he'll be able to take them all night.
22:40But it's just that one instance toward the end of the fourth round,
22:44I think it was, where he backpedaled a touch.
22:47He's backed up to the ropes here.
22:50And Whittaker maybe just making a slight dent there,
22:52the right hand over the top.
22:55Heading into the final minute of round six,
22:57if he can just keep churning this through here.
23:00I think he's getting somewhere here, Whittaker, now.
23:03He definitely felt one of them body shots, I think it was.
23:06You can see Ben knows where it was that he got him,
23:09and is aiming for it now.
23:20Bruce! Bruce!
23:28Just switching things up.
23:31Up and down with the jab.
23:36Finishing on that left hand into the body.
23:39Get Bruce running back!
24:09Millions of ultrasensitive cells relieving even more pressure
24:12for ultimate comfort and support.
24:16Now available with SmartCool technology.
24:19Tempur, the future of sleep is here.
24:29There was an interesting little incident at the end of the round.
24:33Just as you left there, so he goes to walk him back to the corner.
24:37Aronika, well, to use old-fashioned parlance,
24:41he stuck the head in, didn't he, McLean?
24:43And I'm not surprised, to be honest.
24:45And Whittaker, to be fair to him, didn't complain,
24:47because he knew that he was making fun of him walking him back to the corner.
24:50Aronika responded, and neither one of them had any particular problem with it.
24:54Bob Williams let it go and is now having a word.
24:57Yeah, exactly.
24:58You know, Whittaker boded him by walking him back,
25:01and he stuck the head on him.
25:05And the referee just says,
25:07come on, lads, let's calm it down.
25:11I think it's a little bit of frustration as well.
25:21Aronika, busier at the start of this round, trying to use that jab.
25:27Still keeping things nice and tight, guard up in place,
25:31locked into that shell.
25:34Quick!
25:42Nearly timed the uppercut there, Whittaker, not quite.
25:52Them little stab the bodies that he does,
25:54they're not a power shot, but they do make you move,
25:57and they do make you have to reset,
25:59and they do create gaps,
26:01which is why he uses them so effectively.
26:17This is the first ten-rounder for Whittaker,
26:19and the signs at the moment are that it may well go the distance.
26:26If he's going to get a stoppage here,
26:29then he's going to have to just raise the temperature,
26:32turn the screw, see if he can click through the gears a bit
26:35in this round, the next round, the round after.
26:40He might be happy enough to get a ten rounds though, Whittaker.
26:45Regardless, it'd still be good though, wouldn't it,
26:47to see him just try and up it bit by bit towards the end,
26:51finish nice and strong,
26:53get those ten under your belt at a really good pace,
26:56push yourself, basically.
26:58Yeah, definitely, and I'm sure he'll do that.
27:16That's a nice combination,
27:18just sinking onto the back foot,
27:20three crisp punches just rattled off.
27:28Ten seconds!
27:50He's going to take a point, I think, here, Bob Williams,
27:52because there was the headbutt in between rounds
27:55and then there was the elbow there.
27:58I think he's correct there, the referee,
28:00to make that deduction.
28:04He let the headbutt go because he knew there was provocation,
28:07not that that means that you should be allowed to do that,
28:10but that elbow, as you said, Sasha,
28:12that was a little bit naughty.
28:15Left hand there from Aronika right towards the end of the round.
28:17OK, let's go down ringside,
28:19and he is with Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parrish.
28:29OK, we'll hear from Steve shortly.
28:31Let's have a quick listen to the corners.
28:33Listen to me.
28:35I want you to work this jab, man.
28:37I told you this jab was the key to everything, yeah?
28:40This jab unlocks everything, yes?
28:43Keep working the jab,
28:45and then you can whip those body shots in,
28:47and then you can whip that uppercut through the middle.
28:49Yes?
28:51My man worked really hard that round
28:53to try and stay in this fight.
28:55We're not going to let him in this fight.
28:57We're going to work this jab.
28:59Well, that's the point deduction.
29:02And you can see that that was a deliberate foul, essentially.
29:07Yeah, look, the ref had no choice.
29:09The ref had to take a point off him there.
29:28Really?
29:30He's strong, he's saying.
29:34And again, and again.
29:36Reaching for that right hand.
29:39Aronika didn't quite land it.
29:41Again, goes for it there.
29:42The feet crossed and he came forward,
29:44but he committed to it, followed it in.
29:46That was my worry for him in this fight,
29:49was that tendency to overbalance when he goes on the attack,
29:52but he hasn't really done it all that much.
29:54And when it has happened,
29:56there's a say he's doubled down on it
29:59and travelled in behind it as quick as he can.
30:02One minute.
30:05Good.
30:07Right, double that jab, double that jab.
30:09There you go.
30:10Double that jab.
30:11That's all you want.
30:14Double that jab.
30:16That's all you want.
30:23Over the top, over the top.
30:25Feet closed.
30:26That's all that jab.
30:28Turning southpaw here.
30:29Whittaker has done that a couple of times
30:31in the fight up until this point,
30:33not for any great length of time.
30:35That's it, man.
30:37That's it, and again.
30:40Love this boxing.
30:44Both sides.
30:45Nice.
30:48And again, and again.
30:49Nice.
30:51Keep going, keep going.
30:54Keep going.
30:56There's the agility from Whittaker
30:58just avoiding that attack from Aronika.
31:02He looks for a right hand.
31:04I don't think he landed his.
31:05I think Whittaker's might have got through.
31:14But the Nigerian has taken
31:16what Whittaker has had to give him
31:19up until this point.
31:31Keep going.
31:38Believe in yourself.
31:40Come on.
31:41Come on, champ.
31:43There you go.
31:45Right step back.
31:46Step back.
31:50Tighten your glutes.
31:51Tighten your glutes.
31:52Keep going.
31:54Beautiful.
31:55Beautiful.
31:57Downstairs.
31:58Downstairs.
31:59Come on, man.
32:02Closing stages.
32:04The ground end.
32:05Aronika again with a long right hand there.
32:07Doesn't quite land it.
32:08Whittaker with that left hand into the body
32:10and sunk that in all night long.
32:18OK, let's go down to Andy Scott.
32:20He is now with Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parrish.
32:24Steve, 100 years of Sellers Park.
32:26I don't think we've ever seen it look like this.
32:29What have you made of what they've done with the place?
32:31Amazing, isn't it?
32:32It's incredible.
32:33It's such a fitting tribute to the old place.
32:35We were just chatting about the new stand we're going to build.
32:37So hopefully we can have an old event like this
32:39but with a new stand in it.
32:41Not another 100 years time, hopefully.
32:43There's a real feel-good factor around the place
32:45with the end of the season
32:46but also the four Palace players
32:49in the England-Euro squad.
32:50It must be very, very proud.
32:52Absolutely.
32:53Obviously this man has got to take an incredible amount of credit for that.
32:56But the four lads in the England squad are going tomorrow.
32:59Super excited, obviously, for the whole of the England team
33:02but especially for our boys.
33:03So proud of them.
33:04They're a credit to themselves, a credit to the club.
33:06So really impressed.
33:07I wish you all the best for the start of the season.
33:09Thank you.
33:10Thank you very much.
33:15So two rounds to go in this one.
33:18Whittaker six minutes away from
33:22lifting that IVF international belt
33:24which may or may not come with a top-15 ranking.
33:28But it's a first title all the same.
33:31Aronika continues to come forward.
33:33A nice little spin of his own there
33:36towards that blue corner
33:37away to our right-hand side.
33:41Comes in with that cross, square on.
33:43Just trying to mix things up a little bit himself there.
33:48You don't want to be spinning like that, Andy.
33:49You're seeing Giotto Iwata spin
33:51and get hit with a shot that he couldn't see from Zhang.
33:53So...
33:57As you say, it can be dangerous.
33:58Wilder just turning, flying straight on
34:01to the fist of the big bang.
34:04It's not really what anybody needs to be doing.
34:08It was amazing, really, that he got back to his feet after that.
34:12A minute into round nine
34:14and Whittaker, I think, is happy here to do the ten,
34:16get the ten rounds under his belt.
34:19It's really early, Matt, in the career still.
34:24Punching power is something that people will talk about, probably,
34:28off the back of this performance.
34:31At light heavyweight,
34:33you need to be able to crack, don't you,
34:35at the highest level?
34:36It doesn't mean you have to be able to clean everybody out,
34:39but you've got to have respectable punching power.
34:41And I think, from Whittaker, what we're seeing
34:42is that he has got respectable power.
34:44It can develop further,
34:45but at the moment, that's where it is.
34:47I don't think Whittaker's a heavy puncher.
34:50I don't think that's his asset.
34:52What he is, he's slick.
34:54He's got wicked reflexes.
34:58Very agile.
34:59Good shot selection.
35:02Loads of self-confidence.
35:06He's not a big hitter, you can see that.
35:08But he's...
35:09Oh, yeah, it was hard.
35:10He seemed to stick you.
35:11He got through soon.
35:14Just backing Aronika up to the ropes on the far side,
35:17the left hand into the body again,
35:19but Aronika just used those ropes,
35:21came back off them.
35:24It's decent work from him.
35:25He's putting the punches together a bit more here,
35:27but just walked onto an uppercut there from Whittaker.
35:32Whittaker just tapping him on the top of the head.
35:34He needs to be careful with that.
35:35The referee could take a dim view.
35:41I think Ben's lost respect for his power,
35:43and he's just waiting for him to throw the shots
35:46to create the gap to make him pay.
35:49And that's one thing that he's excellent at,
35:51is making you miss and making you pay for it.
35:55Very sharp.
35:56Very sharp.
35:57Very accurate.
36:10Right hand just clipped Whittaker as he was pulling out.
36:13He has landed some shots in this fight, the Nigerian.
36:16Often, Whittaker has just been pulling away,
36:18pulling off the punch,
36:19so they haven't really landed too solidly.
36:22You have to give the away corner fighter credit here
36:24because, as I said previously,
36:26this is a massive, massive step-up.
36:28He's completely conditioned.
36:30And it looks like he's going to go the distance here.
36:33This is 10th round now, okay?
36:38He's going to come out fast, okay?
36:41Let him come out for a bit, control the distance.
36:44Let him come out for a bit, control the distance,
36:46and then you go to work, okay?
36:49Benjamin, you decide whether he goes the distance or not.
36:53No, sir, I'm coming up.
36:54Thank you, sir.
36:55Thank you.
36:59Okay, you decide whether he goes the distance or not, okay?
37:03You've got to let him find himself out,
37:06control the distance, and then go to work.
37:15So into the 10th and final round,
37:17these two will be called to the centre, the touch gloves.
37:19Joby Clayton saying to Whittaker,
37:21for this final three minutes,
37:23you decide whether this goes the distance or not.
37:28The trainer feeling that he is in the position
37:31to close the show here if he so chooses.
37:37From what we've seen so far,
37:38I would be impressed if he manages to do that, Matt,
37:40if he goes after it and gets that done.
37:43Yeah, I would, too.
37:44I think it'll be hard,
37:46because our eco can see the light at the end of the tunnel now,
37:48he's only got this round to get through.
37:50It'll be a moral victory for him to see the final bell
37:54to go those 10 rounds.
37:57Dom Shield has come out there of Whittaker.
38:14Come on, Tom!
38:19He leaps into a massive left hook there, Aronika.
38:22Anthony Farnell was asking for it in the corner
38:25as he was able to take a breather there,
38:27Aronika, and he duly obliged.
38:34Come on, Ingo!
38:36Come on, James!
38:37Let's go!
38:38Come on!
38:44He's controlled this fight, Whittaker,
38:46from beginning to end,
38:48and he's kept the tempo at a decent level as well.
38:54Yeah, and he's done so in second gear.
38:57He's had a cancer, really, hasn't he?
39:01He looks really comfortable.
39:03Even giving you a wink and a nod in between rounds there, Andy.
39:07He's your friend now.
39:09We're great pals.
39:10Great pals.
39:14I'm all for a bit of back and forth.
39:16I'm all for it.
39:17It should never be the case that we get to say what we want to say,
39:21and athletes don't have their right of reply.
39:24I've no problem with it whatsoever.
39:26Heading into the final minute here,
39:28and he's going to go 10 rounds here, Whittaker.
39:31Get those under his belt.
39:34One minute!
39:40I think he was just having a little love of the clock outside of the ring then.
39:54Aronika just leaning in, trying to land that left hand.
39:57As we head into the final 30 seconds,
39:59Whittaker just sinking into those ropes.
40:0430 seconds, let's go!
40:09There's that left to the body.
40:12He's in trouble here.
40:15Maybe Whittaker can finish it.
40:17He's got 15 seconds remaining.
40:19The Nigerian desperately needs to try and hold on here.
40:22There was a left to the body, and then a trio of punches up top.
40:25One at least really got through and put a big dent in him.
40:31And he's just about going to make it through to the final bell there, Aronika.
40:35But you can see how heavy and unsteady those legs are
40:38as he walks back towards Anthony Farnell.
40:41And Joby Clayton in the Whittaker corner was very nearly right.
40:47He put them together right towards the end there.
40:51Be interesting to see which one of those it was that really caused the damage
40:55because they all look like quite straight shots,
40:58but something really made an impact.
41:00I think it was the backhand, one of the backhands that he threw.
41:04We'll see, I'm sure, in the replay.
41:06But it definitely hurt him. His legs definitely wobbled.
41:09He was a bit unsure. His balance was everywhere.
41:18Ten rounds, 30 minutes in the bank.
41:23And there will be a first title to boot.
41:26Well, let's have a look.
41:30I think it was that second right hand through the middle there.
41:34He threw four straight shots. I think it was the second.
41:37He threw a one-two and then another one-two.
41:39I think it was the second right hand.
41:41The legs dipped a little bit.
41:52And that was the final bell.
41:54He just ran out of time and rather question
41:57whether Whittaker could have done that earlier.
41:59I think we have to give some props to Ezra Aronika here
42:02because he stuck to his task.
42:04He looked to keep things tight and compact.
42:07He came in excellent shape.
42:08As Tasha said, he talked his way into this fight
42:10and we did wonder whether it would turn out to be one of those cases
42:15where you needed to be a bit more careful about what you wished for.
42:19But he did a job, didn't he?
42:21That gets his name out there.
42:22And that's what he wanted from this whole thing.
42:24Sometimes when you're not on them big televised shows,
42:28that's the way to get yourself in.
42:30We see it sometimes on social media when people are back and forth.
42:33It gets the fans excited about what can happen in the ring if it does.
42:38So each to their own.
42:40It's not my way, but it's worse for him.
42:43He's here tonight.
42:52OK, time to get the scores, I think.
42:54Ladies and gentlemen, after ten full championship rounds,
42:58we go to the judges' scorecards for the official decision.
43:01Judge Phil Edwards sees it 100-89,
43:04while judges Elena Popivailo and Bayezcal Anzaldag see it 99-90.
43:10Declaring your winner by unanimous decision
43:12and the new IBF International Light Heavyweight Champion,
43:17the surgeon Ben Whittaker!
43:25Another win for Whittaker, this time over the ten-round distance.
43:30Our main event coming next.