Fast Results from London: Whyte, Price, and Chisora make up the Trifecta

The O2 Arena in London was the site of today’s big show in the U.K., a nine-bout card anchored by a match between once-beaten Dillian Whyte and undefeated Oscar Rivas, the plum of a heavyweight tripleheader.

Boxing writer Gareth Davies of the Telegraph anticipated a  great fight. “This matchup ought to create a riveting, explosive contest,” said Davies.

Davies got his wish, but it didn’t start out quite that way. But Rivas, the Montreal-based Colombian, eventually started letting his hands go freely and it turned into quite a rumble. In the ninth round, the fight took a dramatic turn when Rivas floored Whyte with a massive uppercut, but the Jamaica-born Londoner weathered the storm and connected with a few hard shots of his own before the round ended.

The ensuing rounds were entertaining and when the smoke cleared Dillian Whyte was returned the winner by scores of 116-111 and 115-112 twice.

Co-features

David Allen, the so-called White Rhino, was considered no more than a journeyman before knocking out undefeated Nick Webb in July of 2018, the first of what would be four straight wins by stoppage. That elevated him from a journeyman to a fringe contender, but tonight he slipped back, falling to David Price who was comfortably ahead on the cards when the bout was halted after 10 frames.

The 36-year-old Price, a former Olympian, had a five-inch height advantage and was the heavier man by 16 pounds (the disparities looked wider when they faced off), but yet he was actually the underdog. Not only did he have a soft beard but there were questions about his stamina. The presumption was that Allen would have more in his tank if he could take the combustible Price into the late rounds.

Through the first six rounds, the fight appeared to be following that script. Price started fast but showed signs of fading as the bout passed the midpoint. But David Allen wasn’t able to sustain the momentum and was continually peppered by Price who used his longer reach to good effect.

After the 10^th, Allen signaled that he couldn’t go any further. Price improved to 25-6 with his 20^th knockout. David Allen, who was promised a fight with Alexander Povetkin if he could win this match, fell to 17-5-2.

After the contest, Allen received oxygen and left the premises on a stretcher, the second such disconcerting incident in less than 24 hours.

In the first of the three heavyweight fights, Dereck Chisora (31-9, 22 KOs) remained a viable commodity in the heavyweight division with a brutal second-round knockout of Poland’s Artur Szpilka (22-4). A barrage of punches had the Pole out on his feet before the referee could intervene and Szpilka — who served time in an Eastern European prison related to his activities as a soccer hooligan — landed flat on his back. The official time was 1:01.

Best remembered for his two barnburners with Dillian Whyte, the 35-year-old Chisora, a Zimbabwe-born Londoner, has had an up-and-down career, but has been matched tough throughout. His next fight is expected to come against former WBO champion Joseph Parker.

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