Ben Whittaker Wins US Debut Against Richard Rivera

Ben Whittaker, representing Great Britain, made a notable impression in his US debut by defeating Richard Rivera in a light heavyweight bout at Barclays Center, Brooklyn. Whittaker dropped Rivera with a right hand at the end of the first round, despite Rivera landing a point punch that caught Whittaker at the back of the head.

In the second round, Whittaker, nicknamed "The Surgeon," caught Rivera with a left hand that staggered him, prompting the referee to stop the fight. This victory improved Whittaker's professional record to 12 wins, 1 draw, and 0 losses, while Rivera suffered his third defeat in a career of 30 fights.

The fight was part of an undercard event that included Xander Zayas defending his WBA and WBO super welterweight titles against Jaron Ennis, where Zayas succumbed to a seventh-round stoppage, marking his first defeat in 24 fights.