GB's Whittaker produces impressive win on US debut

Whittaker's handspeed and power proved too much for Rivera [Getty Images]Great Britain's Ben Whittaker marked his American debut with an impressive second-round victory against Richard Rivera at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

>The flamboyant Whittaker dropped the American at the end of the first round with a right hand, although Rivera pointed that the punch had caught him on the back of the head.

>But Whittaker, nicknamed 'The Surgeon', clinically caught his rival with a left-hander at the start of the second and, although Rivera staggered to his feet, the referee stopped the light-heavyweight bout.

>The win improved Whittaker's record to 12 wins and a draw from his 13 professional fights, while Rivera suffered the third defeat of his 30 fight career.

>"Brooklyn, that's how you do it man," said Midlands boxer Whittaker, who is renowned for his showboating and did a little dance at the end of the first round on the way back to his corner.

>The fight took place on the undercard of Xander Zayas, who attempted to defend his WBA and WBO super-welterweight titles against Jaron Ennis.

>But Zayas succumbed to a seventh-round stoppage, with the referee ending the contest after the Puerto Rican boxer had been knocked down for a third time in the fight.

>It was the first defeat Zayas had suffered in his 24-fight career, while unbeaten American Ennis has 36 wins from as many fights.

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