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Ben Whittaker reveals why he left Boxxer for Matchroom: ‘Time waits for no man’

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Ben Whittaker has revealed a lack of clarity over fight dates and his return to the ring was the driving force behind his departure from Boxxer, saying that “time waits for no one”.

Following the expiry of his contract with Boxxer, Whittaker joined Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom earlier this month. His first fight with Hearn will be on November 29 in Birmingham against German Benjamin Gavazi.

The 28-year-old airy heavyweight last fought in April, winning by second-round knockout in his rematch with Liam Cameron.

However, Boxxer has since had a restricted number of events, with their broadcast deal with Sky Sports coming to an end in June. In August, Ben Shalom’s company announced a up-to-date contract with the BBC.

Whittaker said one of the main reasons for leaving was his desire to be vigorous and prepare for a world title fight.

“I’m 28 years vintage now. Time waits for no one and this is where things went: ‘When am I going to fight? Am I going to fight?’ It was just everywhere,” Whittaker said.

“What [Boxxer] what they did for me is great and I will tell everyone – they helped me, they put me in a great position. After all, it’s just business.

“You can’t take things personally, but I think going forward, me and Eddie knew [Hearn] and Frank Smith would happen and now we are here.”

As well as thanking Boxxer, Whittaker admitted the BBC is a huge platform but felt DAZN, which also has deals with Frank Warren’s Queensberry and Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy promotions, would be a better option for him.

The Olympic silver medalist is already one of the biggest names in British boxing, despite having only fought 10 times in his professional career.

At Matchroom, Whittaker said he wants to have a lot of fights next year to take his career to the next level.

SEE ALSO: Fabio Wardley instructed Oleksandr Usyk to be a “man of words”.

“World champion, that’s the plan. But I can fight globally; I have a more global audience,” Whittaker said.

“Key to be vigorous, I couldn’t get many fights elsewhere. It takes staying vigorous. I’m still 28. When you get into the later part of your career, winning world titles or fighting for a world title, your career will leisurely down.”

“I’ll get one fight this year, you won’t learn like that. They made a plan where I can get three or four fights a year and that’s what I needed.”

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Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2: Round-by-Round Live Updates and Results

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Daniel Dubois vs Fabio Wardley 2: Round-by-Round Live Updates and Results

Daniel Dubois will face Fabio Wardley in a rematch of a heavyweight slugfest from earlier this year, with Dubois defending the WBO heavyweight title he took from Wardley on that night.

Live coverage will kick off at 2 pm ET, and we’ll have results and updates during the four-fight, main card undercard, then live, round-by-round scoring and updates for the main event itself.

How to watch Dubois vs Wardley 2

Start time: 2:00 pm ET for main card, prelims begin at 11:00 am ET

Streaming: DAZN (Ultimate subscription or Pay-Per-View)

PPV Cost: As a standalone, one-off purchase Pay-Per-View, the price is $59.99 (or £24.99). With DAZN’s Ultimate tier, the show is included as part of your subscription.

Location: O2 Arena – London, England

Dubois vs Wardley 2 full undercard and running order

Live Stream: Dubois vs Wardley 2 Prelims

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Mannix and Mora Support Fabio Wardley in Quest for Vengeance

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"Mannix and Mora Support Fabio Wardley in Quest for Vengeance"

Fabio Wardley can turn his early success against Daniel Dubois into a rematch victory if he avoids exhausting himself chasing the finish. He proved he could hurt Dubois in their first fight. The harder task is keeping control when an opponent he has dropped continues coming forward.

Wardley scored two early knockdowns before Dubois recovered and stopped him. That leaves an opening for a different result, although better pacing alone may not be enough to prevent another punishing night.

Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora both back Wardley to win again on Saturday, with Mannix choosing him by stoppage. Mora believes Wardley’s eagerness to finish Dubois helped undo his promising start.

“If he just doesn’t punch himself out, he thinks about setting up that right hand, doesn’t get right hand happy,” Mora said to DAZN Boxing.

That is the adjustment Wardley needs to make under pressure. Once Dubois survived his biggest punches, Wardley needed something beyond another loaded right hand. Working behind his jab and putting punches together would give him more ways to attack without spending everything on a single finish.

Dubois deserves credit for surviving those knockdowns and returning to his jab. Mora believes his previous defeats helped him stay composed when Wardley hurt him. Wardley now has his own experience of a fight turning against him.

“I think he’ll be smarter after this fight. I think he’ll learn some lessons,” Mannix said. “I think Wardley wins by stoppage in this fight.”

Mannix’s biggest concern is what the first beating took out of Wardley. Learning the tactical lesson does not guarantee he will absorb Dubois’ punches the same way in the rematch.

Wardley’s power gives their picks a credible foundation. He has already put Dubois down twice. To complete the job, he needs to create another opening without allowing the pursuit of a knockout to leave him exhausted and exposed again.

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Boxing247.com is an independent boxing news publication covering the sport since 2001. It provides original reporting, fight analysis, schedules, results, and informed coverage of major fighters and events worldwide, backed by more than 25 years of professional boxing journalism.

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Fabio Wardleys Team Advocates for Strict Foul Monitoring Against Daniel Dubois

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"Fabio Wardley's Team Advocates for Strict Foul Monitoring Against Daniel Dubois"

Fabio Wardley’s team wants tighter control of Daniel Dubois’ head-first attacks in Saturday’s rematch, with manager Michael Ofo calling for stronger officiating after their first fight.

The concern is about Wardley being able to punch without Dubois driving into him with his head. Those collisions can interrupt an attack, knock a fighter out of position, and make him hesitate before throwing again.

Dubois recovered from two knockdowns to stop Wardley in May and take the WBO heavyweight title. Ahead of their return at London’s O2 Arena, Ofo has accused the champion of leading with his head and using a tackle during that fight.

“We’re calling for a stronger referee, because it’s needed,” Ofo told Sky Sports Boxing.

Dubois’ trainer Don Charles rejected the criticism, describing the opposing camp’s complaints as “insecurity and weakness.”

Wardley’s camp has a reasonable case for asking the referee to watch those entries closely. When Dubois comes forward behind his punches, head contact can make it difficult for Wardley to plant his feet and counter. Intent is difficult to establish, but repeated collisions still need attention.

That becomes especially important if Wardley hurts Dubois again. He needs the opportunity to follow up without a foul interrupting his work and giving the champion time to recover.

However, Wardley cannot build his approach around the referee intervening. His jab has to give Dubois something to get past, and combinations would make him less predictable than loading up on individual power shots. Moving after punching could also reduce the opportunities for Dubois to drive into him.

Wardley showed he could hurt Dubois in the first fight. The harder task is turning those moments into a finish while avoiding another punishing battle at close range. Firmer officiating could help, but his own adjustments will have to do most of the work. Wardley cannot rely on the third man to solve that puzzle.

If Dubois is going to be stopped from barreling in head-first, Wardley has to make the physical cost of doing so intolerable, just like Oleksandr Usyk did.

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BoxingNews24.com has delivered independent boxing coverage since 2007, including original news, fight analysis, schedules, and results. Our experienced boxing writers cover major fighters and events worldwide, with published content reviewed by editors for accuracy.

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