Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Alex Pattle

Ben Whittaker’s house ‘burgled’ during his first-round win over Benjamin Gavazi

Ben Whittaker (left) dropped Benjamin Gavazi twice in a first-round victory - (Getty Images)

Ben Whittaker produced a perfect performance in the ring on his Matchroom debut on Saturday, but the night ended on a negative note.

After Whittaker’s bout with Benjamin Gavazi lasted barely two minutes, with the “Surgeon” taking apart the German with two knockdowns, Whittaker got home to discover his house had been burgled, he said.

“Highs and lows of the sport,” the 28-year-old wrote on Instagram. “Come back, house has been burgled.

“But Wednesbury, I’ve got a big, big reward. Find these people and let me know.

“They even took my IBF belt, what they going to do with that?

“Let me know, hit me up in the DMs [direct messages]... Big reward.”

Light-heavyweight Whittaker had fought Gavazi in Birmingham, which is less than a half-an-hour drive from Wednesbury.

Whittaker’s emphatic victory kept the Olympic silver medalist unbeaten as a professional, as he built on a second-round stoppage of Liam Cameron in April.

Whittaker previously fought Cameron last October, with the pair tumbling over the ropes and Whittaker unable to continue boxing. As a result, their fight was ruled a technical draw, and Whittaker was subjected to major criticism over his performance and the bout’s strange ending.

However, he responded impressively in the rematch, before leaving Boxxer to join Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom in October.

Whittaker’s fight with Gavazi, 30, was the Briton’s first under the Matchroom banner and could give way to a fight in the US next year, according to Hearn.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.