FULL FIGHT! Ben Whittaker vs Leon Willings | Light-heavyweight bout

[Music] Leon willings has already made his way into the ring central area champion and now for the arrival of Whitaker here's Big Mo and Now ladies and gentlemen accompanied by members of the British sensation diversity choreographed by Ashley banjo here is the Drunken Master Ben WI [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] a do [Music] [Applause] eacher [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Matt early in his pro career though he may be there is already a sense of occasion about a Ben wh a pight definitely just looking around here everyone's up with the phones like to say his last fight went viral the show booting like to say it's not everyone's cup of tea but a lot of people love it some hate it but everyone's talking about it do you know what mat as soon as he came up on the screen I had a smile on my face that's what that's how you know he's drawing that interest six and0 so far a destruction of C grader in his last fight a stunning knockout just before [Music] Christmas after a difficult start with injury the train is really beginning to move and it promises to be quite a journey ladies and gentlemen this light heavyweight contest is promoted by Ben Shalom and boxer and brought to you live worldwide on Sky Sports and NBC's peacock and brought to you by our headline partner bet 365 and our official Partners Everlast integrous Property Group Fastline Steel Services Val nutrition and car finance 247 schedule for 8 three minut rounds in the light heavyweight division our referee in charge when the ring sha makoy let's meet the Fighters first fighting out of the blue Corner we're in the blue trunks with white trim he stands 6 ft tall he weighed in at 12 stone 9 lb 5 oz he holds a near perfect professional record of seven victories versus just one loss with two of those wins coming by way of knockout and he fights out of witness Chester England introducing the current reigning [Applause] [Applause] okay contest keep it clean at all time keep at all time keep respect at all time touch gloves here we go cavoy The Man In Charge here and there is Whitaker just taking a seat on the Rope there testing it out seeing how tense it is second round one so into the first we go they scheduled for eight Leon willings in the blue Central Area champion won that with a really good performance against Jake Barton in Liverpool boxing out of the away corner he hasn't had too long to prepare for this but he never Strays too far from the gym and he was willing to step up it's not easy to get people to fight Whitaker the price has gone up again in most people's minds after what happened at the start of February so matching him can be a tough job really I've I've heard a few up on cominging boxers calling him out at so but hey I guess like you said they're looking for a certain caliber and yeah this is um the fight we got Liam Williams Central Area champion job to the chest there from Whitaker little fing if he can draw something there from [Applause] willings good the right hand into the body then went up top that's decent defense there from winings he was trapped in the corner but it just dipping at the waist managed to avoid the left hand that came in yeah good work there though from wiut targeting the body you know take what he gives you and he's doing that taking the body Jabs the body straight right hands the body then banging in that left hook you already see there the body red raar against B that Javin the body how we doing it yeah I like Ben Ben's very um busy with his jab about a thousand shots already looking to shot down with the right hand the touchdown there for willings so that will be counted as a knockdown he was pinned back on the ropes he was looking for the left hand the body there with then did just catch him with that chopping down right hand willings just shaking his head as he realized The Knockout was going to be given then when boxing resume tried to climb into a left hook but a reing up on the left hand side of the face as well as a rift cage wher picking his punch as well here he's really digging him in now just landed a lovely left to the body this is the fastest most aggressive start I've seen from Ben Whitaker there's been no prevarication here whatsoever he's been straight into business no standing off no having a look none of the show boating that we've seen previously in fights he's just got straight down to the business of letting his hands go strong right hand there again willings just trying to dip those knees and roll away from the left hand but he's trapped in the corner yeah I think that that maybe called him out at the press conference peed him off cuz he's really firing at all cylinders we're right to the end of the round there we' got a little bit of what we've seen so far incredible reflexes and then just dabbing that right hand into the body not be on them ropes with him kid nonstop head movement okay making mming pay all right you need to establish your job okay yeah good hand speed from wi go left hook to the body working well for him was a good straight right hand there yeah chopped it down lovely variation with his opponent on the ropes body head yeah I don't think um sorry Leon's going to go past three rounds you know it's a tough for him he enjoys himself in there with every single moment of it round two and there is nothing wrong with showing off those skills nothing wrong with showing off those reflexes we had this discussion about said topic the two of us during the week which I very much enjoy we may well get back to it at some point the left hand there though does land from willings as Whitaker was just trying to pull out so he's got to be a little bit careful he's got a strong left hook Leon willings that might have been the first time I've seen him get with three shots you know it's good to see that from willings opening up not being so passive but actually you know taking the initiative he's pinning on those ropes he's got the right hand's going to come over over the top of that jab so he's got to make it's okay making Wht Miss but then he's got to fire back as well but that will have given willing some confidence maybe caught whiter a little bit cold at the start of the round look for the uppercut with the left hand then with the right he's just beginning to open up a little bit here willings which may be exactly what Whitaker wants but it's making for a good spectacle you landed a nice right uppercut there willings good long right hand followed up by the left but the glove was up what it needed to be there for willings to take some of the impact out of it Ben's doing something really good when Williams is on the ropes he tab tabing him to the mid area and then comes upstairs it's really really good you can see the reing on Willi's body already and looking for that uppercut again there willings it is game you could tell that from watching his previous fights and that left hand is quite dangerous because he throws it in quite unot man good right hands here for Whit he throws four or five in a row he can fing it up from the waist from below the waist almost down by his knee willings the [Music] there's the shot to the body again Taps downstairs then comes upstairs really good stuff by lovely right hand yeah nice short right hand just measured him with the lead left hand then chopped it down again just climbs into that left hand this a strange unorthodox kind of style that he throws it with we to be getting back to the jab to the body he's winning this round Whitaker but willings has had a much better round than he had in the first round and it'll be giving him plenty of confidence if he can finish it well in this last 30 seconds definitely a much better round for willings landing some good shots and he's starting to have a little rled Dazzle as well with the hands down and you know looks like he's getting a bit more confident into the final 10 seconds and he's settled here willings you always wonder whether Fighters will handle this kind of stage when they take to it for the first [Music] [Applause] time every time okay don't need that jab out to dry okay just pop shot in holding on him okay pot shot fting and pot shotting okay yeah that was a lot better around slip bang play him at his own game nonstop head okay keep breaking him down CH head and body okay this job man this job is money okay into the body is money into the chest is money okay work that job JY Clayton leading that corner with Ben Whitaker's a scan get involved VI his verdict the live blog as always breaking down to him there keep going about the business of breaking him down and that's what you have to do in any fight if you want that finish you have to earn it it's always possible you can catch somebody cold with one they're not ready for they're not graced for early in a fight but you can't ever Bank on that wh certainly hasn't here he's gone about his business in a very purposeful fashion but willing showed us something in that second round didn't he Dan no he did like I said he was getting a bit more confident um didn't win the round but was definitely had a better round yeah just teing off from willings on the ropes good one two there from Whitaker willings treding to get off the ropes eventually does behind that left hand he recognized that that was not where he needed to be he found the range well there Whitaker right hand comes back there from willings wher I think he's enjoying this having somebody in front of him who is really looking to try and throw back and a little bit of a flash move there from willings he turned southp turn square and then kind of threw in a long left uppercut yeah I heard in the corner Williams coach tell him beat him at his own game so maybe we might see a bit of showboating from Williams good solid right hands again there for Whitaker as he's got willings backed up to the ropes but he's taken these well so far the witness fighter that doesn't mean you can take them forever but he hasn't shown any ill effects of tasting the power of wh right hand makes me trying to point at me in the room funny guy willings just offering in that head almost there then launches in with the left and he's making whal work here right hand over the top landed on the back of the head but then the left hand got through he growing in confidence as well how can he let him talk to his coach jeez Whitaker with the long right hand gets through and he's trying to put willings under some pressure in the corner here but willings just rocking the rolling there managed to get out of trouble back on your J come on work let's go cut now on the right eye on the corner of the right eye from one of those right hands you would imagine has a little bit of a wild swing at Whitaker who shim's in front of him playing theor to the ball but willings does manage to get hold of him to a degree and I like this Leon willings because when Whitaker is trying to do that kind of thing he won't have it is's defiant he's trying to trying to slip outside the jab there try to fire back with the right hand he's fired up here he's unloading there which got both hands but you know the defenses of willings pretty good there not too many getting through cleanly no but the ones that did land they did look Qui the body shots particularly I think were good nice right hand from Williams andot to finish off he's come to take partly on Williams he hasn't come here just to be a spectator in the Ben Whitaker show and that's exactly what Whitaker would have wanted to the winings corner he had a good CH with you looking outside of the ROP but winings won't give him much time to do that as soon as he sees him going off on that kind of kilter M then willing sees that almost as his invitat right okay maybe you're not 100% concentrated here here I come yeah it's been in it the first three rounds have been interesting to say the least look Ben witzer on top but he hasn't had it all his own way willing certainly landed some good shots and and has got out the way jeez willing it with the right hand there then catch it to wh with the left as Whit was just on his way back out whiter took it well though he did take it well another right there from willings Whitaker probably would do well to just get back on the jab here body and head go up and down like he was at the start of the fight and just trying go about the process once again of working his opponent over because he's just got a bit of wind in his sails here Leon willings and whiter needs to to take it out basically definitely and get back to the Jabs the body straight right Hands To The Head left hook he put those combinations together and yeah put out the fire that Leon willings has managed to create and he is bigger touchable cect in this fourth round so far at least with good just fainting with that front foot looking to keep it at distance jab to the chest he's just looking to reset here and try and reestablish that absolute dominance that they had in the first round yeah it looks like Ben slowed down a bit I don't know maybe he's just trying to like you said um show that yeah set the dominance in the yeah he ain't throwing us [Music] much I think he needs to be mindful of what's coming back at him because we willing as you know fired back the straight right hand slipped outside the jab wh back with the right hand sometimes the dring lead left uppercut so he's got to be mindful of what's coming back at him and he's getting more confident with the shoulder row as well when he's on a rope he's rolling a few right hands just sted his way in there willings and tried to let that right hand go there wasn't quite enough room for it by the time he did been a Qui around from the pair of them spearing out that jab there whiter looking for a big overhand right there with good job from good nice right hand counter there from Whitaker nice trying to chop down with that right hand again because he has got habit of Dipping quite low at the willings you have to make that adjustment neon's defense is good he's rolling he's ducking he's do he's doing the shoulder roll it's making a bit more harder for Ben to land these these flurries Corners 10 s second out round five so into the fifth into the second half of they scheduled for eight Ben Whitaker Olympic silver medalist very highly rated Prospect he's in the red and white I said it weren't going to go past three's doing all right absolutely he is he is and I said towards the beginning that you don't know when somebody steps up onto this kind of stage particularly when they're fac with a character like Whitaker whether they will be able to handle it Matt or whether they will freeze you just don't know until the first Bell goes it was a torrid first round but in the second round he gambled a bit didn't he and that shows that he's got some he's got some bottle as well as some ability yeah I think he took some clean shots he got the knock down but I think he thought no you know what I can live with that power I think the speed has troubled him in the variety at times from wh but I don't I think he's felt the power and thought no I I can cope with that and uh he's got a little bit Bolder in times as the fights go on you know that said wha has won every round clearly but he's certainly been competitive willings when wh is really struggling to land that right hand now it looks like willings is rolling them with his getting more and more confident you mentioned that and his defense particularly on the ropes has been good because he tucks his chin in behind that shoulder he uses that roll and not all that much has got through clean and when the right hand has landed he's been pulled right onto his back foot so the stings kind of gone out of it mostly by the time it's landed yes look missed the right hand there [Music] again just capable there willing of coming back with something wh sticking to the task right hand left into the body LS on to the body willings comes back there's a good left hook there from willings then wh lands a lovely straight right hand roll two right hands right there I have to really give credit to Leon's defense there Ben's going to have to come up with something else and he just puts in a cheeky uppercut there he showed a good chin as well will he did take that that right hand flush wi showing a good chin also he's been caught with a few clean shots as well look two two left hooks there and just pops his head in front of Leon just swaggering forward wio looking to launch that left hand rolls another right hand sorry I'm just in an a of house he's rolling them right hands good shoulder roll lovely left hook too wh on face looks to try let his own hands go a little bit into the final 10 seconds of round five Leon is definitely getting more more confident to Mak him Ben Miss and his Landing [Applause] shots enjoyable watch this one so far has and willings has grown in confidence as the fight's G on wi won every round for me clearly but but willings has got better as the fight's G on I'll admit I did fear for Leon Williams a little bit this week because it's just such a big step up in every single way and as I said you don't know how somebody will will react and you never want any fighter who's bold enough to take that kind of step to have it turn into a really regrettable experience and that is not what has happened here now but I looked at Leon's record and he's had some decent fights against decent opposition he's won an area title and I really respect the area titles cuz you're always fighting someone who's of the same HK as you so um the occasion might have got to him but he's definitely been in there with in like 50/50 fights or you know fights he might not have even been TI to win so he's definitely showing what he's made of for sure and he's only 23 years of age himself it's a baby people will ask the question though Matt if this goes the distance and that question will be should Ben wher be dealing with an area level fighter in better fashion than this given the the talent that He has and what people think he could go on to achieve I think the thing with Ben Whitaker is he's not a massive puncher yeah I know he scored some good Knockouts but that's cuz he's timed the shots nicely and walked the monster shots I don't think he's a a massive puncher I think he's a very slick boxer very skillful sharp and so you know he is going to box people that maybe he's not going to get them out of there as quick as people would normally think that he would but I think you'll see the the best of been wh when he's in with somebody where it's like a 50/50 fight I think that's when he'll really see him shine heading into the final minute of round six and again he's not looked to be too expansive in this round wha doubling up with a jab to the body then up to the head and willings I think is Happy enough to almost agree to a round off here to an extent because it's been boxing a good Pace this isn't it no very good pace [Applause] you're doing all the working around you're letting the shots go and the other guy's just kind of surviving looking after himself but then kind of ambushes you with a bur once around it's you know what I mean it's not I'm not going to say it's easy to do that against someone like Ben isn't but it's Ben wi is winning the rounds he's initiating the attacks he's putting the work in willings is on the back foot and every now and then he'll open up with the burst but he can't sustain it to win the round that's good one wh this is good for wh really concussive use of the jab for about 10 seconds before that then let his hands go a little bit positioning is a lot better yeah he doesn't like going backwards you know that don't let him be forward you go forward your foot positioning was a lot better keep creeping forward with head movement don't just be walking forward double guarded I want you like this counter punching on the front foot okay yeah he's feeling that now he's hit you with his best fcking shot didn't you still yeah okay I want you on this front foot teach it to him now Terry Spencer leading the corner there those two have been together from the start of willings is career boxing out of title shot DC and witness 10 seconds it's interesting to hear his coach tell him to take the front foot and try and push Ben back um i' like to see if he listens and tries to take more the front for in this round so into the seven whiter in the white and red willings in the blue and white tried to time the hand over the top of the jab there that's the quality pressure come on I think with willings he more aggressive and comes forward that'll be better for wha I think you he's like I said he's not the heaviest single punch hitter but he's sharp he's a good counter puncher and he walks you onto a shot that you don't see that's how he scores his Knockouts but if a GU is going to be on the back foot surviving it's harder for him to to to to get the Knockouts he just switched southp briefly be willings again just manages to roll under a couple on the ropes but then did catch a couple I think he's beginning to feel this a bit Leon willings I think those resistance levels are beginning to drop because he's taken plenty of clean punches and as I said you can't necessarily take them forever you can feel the power and be confident that it's not just going to completely take you out but the cumulative effects is what we're seeing now and he's hardly coming back with anything so seems like it's only a matter of time now and in these last three or four rounds he's gone back to basics really Whitaker he made a very good strong start and they had a little bit of a tear up really in rounds two and three and willings played a good good part in that but from four onwards Whitaker has gone back to that jab mostly throwing that onew just believing that over time that will break his opponent down and put them in a position where maybe he can get the Finish but will he not to tonight you don't always judge your fight's merits on whether you get the stoppage or not Matt I think he'll be happy to get eight good rounds in the bank here yeah I think so he um willings has been comparative he's landed some good shots he's made wh think wh landed some good shots himself and he's been nah he definitely won't be happy with if it goes the distance he wants another highlight Instagram real and he wants something to get loads of views on this isn't going to get him that and yeah I'm pretty sure he want to get The Knockout expect yeah but you ain't going to get those every time then as you know winings just looking for the uppercut there wh standing a little bit closer good left hand there willings and then swings himself off his feet looking for a huge left hook Whitaker just managing to pull back out of range but again he's still got that fight in him willings I did wonder whether it was slowly leaving him but not a bit of it he landed a good few clean shots nice left hook there but he just not throwing enough of them I think he's happy with making Ben Miss but he's just not coming back with [Music] anything one more calm yourself okay when you let your work go you got to make it Miss afterwards big man okay calm yourself will you know left but he's not intimidated by wh he's not doing enough to win any of these rounds but he's every now and then he'll open up with I catch him first which keeps him in the fight although wh clearly ahead this might be a bit of a reach but if it does go to points Ben does win I can imagine Leon going home afterwards and thinking oh I could have actually giving this guy a run for his money you know cuz he's not doing that bad he's just not doing enough now you make a good point [Applause] there because that's what is always do isn't it you'll never really satisfied and although he'll take a lot of Pride if he gets through to the end of the fight here with the way that he has boxed the way that he has fought the way that he has dug in he will I'm sure think along those lines in the coming days and it'll be very interesting to see what he goes on to do from here he's targeting the English title I know that Ricky Summers is defending back against Troy James before too long the whiter just going for a little walk away to our right hand side and then in the final two minutes I think we'll look to try and click through the gears as much as he can and see if he can get that stopage it doesn't look likely at the moment he got that knocked down in the opening round but since then willings has swung himself off his feet in that previous round but other than that he hasn't really looked particularly hurt by any single punch at any [Music] point that's the work keep keeping it keep keep keeping it on keep pushing keep I'm actually a bit let down you know I was expecting more dancing more show booting um yeah maybe the level of opposition you know the how it goes maybe that you know drops all that drop from Ben Whit I was looking forward to seen some new moves that lovely one two on the well we've seen a little bit of that but nah not enough not enough Wills hasn't really allowed him to do it to an extent and I do think that he's come here tonight with a real sense of purpose wher to break his opponent down and just be all business he did say that yesterday after the way into Andy Scott but then he says plenty of things now the you know the followers the viewers you know everyone on the Ben wh bandwagon we come to see dancing humiliation have a laugh do you know what I mean we a't come to see [Applause] this final few seconds and willing is looking to try and let that left hand go again looking out of the ring there wh willings just right let go and that was a decent shot wh could trying to counter with the right hand there goes a 10-sec clapa this is going to go all the way to the final belt wh with a nice stiff jab there but willings is going to finish the fight back in Ben Wier up to the ropes and Ben Whitaker has won that fight but Leon willings has shown us plenty in there coming in at short notice so I absolutely TI my hat to him VI on from ringside what did you what did you make of that whole thing um do you know what I was really pleased with Leon his defense he done really well but I think because he's probably been you know tipped as the underdog he's never going to win or that could probably might have got in his head and he just thought you know what I'm just going to survive if I can go to rounds I've won in that sense do you know what I mean and um Ben whar I guess um yeah he got some rounds under his belt but like I said I think he would have been happy to have got a highlight R again but he didn't get that tonight so on to the next one I Me overall were you were you expecting more from him um yeah like I said more dances more showboating you know I thought I'll would be laughing a bit more but yeah it was kind of like you know it was a 70 703 Bight I said it right at the very beginning basically because people have talked about it when would he be ready necessarily for somebody like you we always want Fighters like Whit the public want them to move really really quickly you've got a big smile on your face there and it tells me that from what you've seen tonight you know that there is there is a lot of work to be done over in that corner and I'm sure they realize that before they could get in with you no for sure what do you think he's ready to get in there with the lik of Me no personally I I I didn't and you can't you can't skip levels can you he's got outstanding pedigree we all know that but it's like doing exams isn't it you learn the syllabus in the gym you do the exam on F night and if you try and jump from gcsc level to PhD well the OD genius can do that everybody else youve got to do it you've got to go through those fights so basically you're saying Ben's not the genius you you been Hing up to be aiz you're trying to get me into trouble here you're trying to get me into trouble I'm saved by the MC here's Big Mo ladies and gentlemen after eight full rounds we go to referee sha makoy for the official decision he ceas the contest 78- 73 declaring your winner and still undefeated Ben the suring [Applause] [Music] Wier Ben raker posing for pictures with Leon willings a shake of hands between the two and the away Corner fighter there has shown us plenty and as I said we will watch with interest to see what he goes on to do next the wh train will keep rolling forward those were eight good rounds for him and we'll be hearing from him shortly B congratulations World on eight very useful rounds at this stage of your career how do you reflect on your performance yeah uh firstly congratulations to uh Leon Willams brought the fight dropped him in the first round I thought oh shall I get him but I had seven rounds left went back to the job discipline performance things to work on but I'll broke him down I look good while doing it yeah you guys will go away and talk about the positives we're hypocritical aren't we he caught you more than anybody has at this stage of your career is that something that uh any concern at all no I kind of let him hit me if I manag you see me stand there I a I've got a very good chin people think CU I dance around I make the Miss I can't take a shot I can take shots so I just wanted to show that injury free injury free ready to go next week hopefully see you again soon thank you very much thank you for everybody coming out happy Easter and uh 2024 it's the surgeon's year baby let's go

Channel: Sky Sports Boxing

Views: 662,590

Keywords: sky sports boxing, sky sports boxing stream, boxing, sky sports, BOXXER, BOXXER Highlights, highlights, sky sports boxing highlights, ben whittaker, the surgeon ben whittaker, whittaker boxing highlights, fight highlights, boxing highlights, fabio wardley vs frazer clarke highlights

Id: kovFVOikc0s

Length: 39min 21sec (2361 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 01 2024