Ben Whittaker was incredibly headbutted by Ezra Arenyeka after showboating during his latest win.
Rising star Whittaker took on the toughest challenge of his career to date, as he touched gloves with fired up rival Arenyeka at Selhurst Park.
And ‘The Surgeon’ dominated the fight and picked up a unanimous decision win, but an incident during the encounter sparked controversy.
As he attempted to ‘guide’ his opponent back to the corner in the sixth round, Arenyeka took it badly and threw his head into the face of Whittaker.
It was a headbutt which wasn’t picked up by the referee, although Whittaker simply laughed it off and returned to his corner.
It is unclear if the incident could see retrospective action, but it was not a good look for the challenger who was clearly frustrated with his antagonistic antics.
His undefeated rival was then deducted a point in the seventh for a stray elbow, as he started to use questionable tactics to get under the skin of Whittaker.
Arenyeka had started off game from the first bell, and even began taunting his rival with a showboating shake of his shoulders in the opener.
The Olympic silver medalist responded with a showboat session of his own, as the pair danced and did not throw a punch.
It was like something rarely seen before in the ring, and was a sign that Arenyeka was not there to simply roll over and wanted to have fun.
Unfortunately Whittaker was taking care of business and started the fight in the opening three rounds, throwing crisp jabs, bobbing in and out of range with smooth and allusive movement.
Whittaker continued to dominate until the midway point of the ten round encounter, with the Nigerian starting to be worn down by the relentless work including powerful whipping shots to his body.
His rival’s early match of flamboyance appeared to fade as he started to feel the pace given he was being landed on at will as the midway point came.
After the ‘headbutt flashpoint’ in round six, things got out of hand and scrappy as Arenyeka found himself another point down after an elbow was detected by the referee.
The Briton’s control continued until the final bell as he failed to stop his rival, but had his hand raised with the scorecards at 100-89, 100-89 and 99-90 in his favour.
He captured the IBF international belt, but his showboating will once again prove the talking point from South London.
Big things are expected of the flamboyant and talented boxer, who will now look to continue to move quickly in his bright career.
The crowd-pleasing sensation has already built up a huge following, and his latest display will no doubt continue to grow his unprecedented profile.
Boxing WhatsApp channel
News Summary:
- ‘Absolutely ludicrous’ – Ben Whittaker headbutted by rival after showboating in stunning moment during dominant win
- Check all news and articles from the latest Football updates.