Venue: <\/strong>OVO Arena, Wembley <\/span>Date: <\/strong>Saturday, 26 November<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n| Coverage: <\/strong>Watch highlights on BBC Sport website & app from 12:00 GMT Sunday, 27 November.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n | Heavyweight Dillian Whyte laboured to a majority points victory against American Jermaine Franklin in London.<\/span><\/p>\n Whyte, 34, almost stopped Franklin in the final seconds after 12 mostly stale, uneventful rounds.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Two judges gave Whyte the nod with cards of 116-112, while the third saw it as a 115-115 draw. <\/span><\/p>\n Anthony Joshua was watching ringside as eyes turn to a potential rematch between the British old rivals in the new year.<\/span><\/p>\n As Whyte exchanged a few cordial words with Joshua at ringside, Franklin expressed discontent with the scorecards and called for a rematch.<\/span><\/p>\n “I felt like I got robbed on the decision, I felt like a did enough,” the 29-year-old said.<\/span><\/p>\n Whyte was fighting under the tutelage of his new trainer Buddy McGirt for the first time and admitted he was “fighting to a new set of instructions”, revealing his corner told him to stay behind his jab.<\/span><\/p>\n “An undefeated heavyweight’s the hardest thing to beat on this planet,” Whyte said.<\/span><\/p>\n “He’s undefeated and he’s got a lot of beans in his body. His stock rose tonight.<\/span><\/p>\n “I could’ve probably been a bit more active and let off a few more big shots.”<\/span><\/p>\n Whyte had 19 knockouts on his record before his encounter with Franklin and there were high hopes of an explosive return inside the OVO Arena in Wembley.<\/span><\/p>\n The Jamaica-born fighter was in action for the first time since being stopped by WBC champion Tyson Fury at Wembley Stadium in April.<\/span><\/p>\n But Whyte set the tone for a slow-paced fight from the first bell, preferring to feel out Franklin rather than push for early success.<\/span><\/p>\n It was the American who was throwing most of the punches and he did some minor damage to Whyte in the third with a quick right and left-hand combination.<\/span><\/p>\n Franklin landed another long right in the fourth, with hardly anything of note coming back from Whyte. <\/span><\/p>\n Just as it seemed a snail’s pace had been established, Whyte fired off a flurry of hits in a welcome expression of intent. But the moment was fleeting.<\/span><\/p>\n The fifth round, and the entire fight in truth, followed the same pattern. <\/span><\/p>\n Whyte would momentarily inject some fire into the fight, pushing Franklin back, only to take his foot off the gas.<\/span><\/p>\n After an opening of no meaningful exchanges, Franklin invited Whyte onto him. The crowd, now mostly conversing among themselves, tried to urge both fighters on.<\/span><\/p>\n Whyte was then tagged by a right hand from Franklin, but again seemed unconcerned by any power his opponent might possess.<\/span><\/p>\n He just smirked at Franklin and slowed down again.<\/span><\/p>\n The crowd’s encouragement fell on deaf ears as Whyte thought he was ahead on the scorecards and appeared content to stroll to the final bell.<\/span><\/p>\n Whatever plan he was trying to execute, it almost paid off in the final seconds of the 10th round as he landed a big right on Franklin.<\/span><\/p>\n The American shuddered, but did not go down. Hopes rose in the arena for a late knockout, but they were quickly dashed as Whyte and Franklin settled back into their previous rhythm for the final two rounds.<\/span><\/p>\n Whyte, however, did finish the fight on the front foot, hurting Franklin by landing his first clean left hand.<\/span><\/p>\n His previously undefeated opponent stumbled backwards into the ropes, but the bell rescued Franklin.<\/span><\/p>\n It was a strange performance from Whyte, who has built a career on his crowd-pleasing fights and explosive nature inside and outside the ring.<\/span><\/p>\n But with Joshua watching on and their rematch some seven years in the making, perhaps Whyte will feel he has done his chances of convincing his long-term nemesis to face him again no harm.<\/span><\/p>\n Fabio Wardley claimed the British heavyweight title after coming through a gruelling encounter with Nathan Gorman.<\/span><\/p>\n Gorman started brightly and broke Wardley’s nose in the second round. Blood began to pour from Wardley’s visibly shattered nose and Gorman tried to move in to finish the fight.<\/span><\/p>\n But the injury sparked a ferocious response from Wardley, who started stepped forward and began landing on a stunned Gorman. <\/span><\/p>\n He put Gorman down with a flurry of right hands and stood over his opponent, roaring down in his direction.<\/span><\/p>\n Gorman was down again moments later but the bell arrived to save the 26-year-old.<\/span><\/p>\n It proved a short reprieve, as Gorman was caught by a huge right hand in the third and collapsed against the ropes.<\/span><\/p>\n He climbed back to his feet again, but with Wardley piling on the pressure, Gorman’s corner saved him from further damage by throwing in the towel. <\/span><\/p>\n “That was a really exciting heavyweight performance from Fabio Wardley,” promoter Eddie Hearn said of his fighter.<\/span><\/p>\n Wardley is now undefeated in 15 outings with 14 knockouts.<\/span><\/p>\n “Twenty twenty three is the year of Fabio Wardley. It’s the year I really kick on,” the 27-year-old said.<\/span><\/p>\n |
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