Andy Lee Reveals Ben Whittaker’s COVID Before Wallace Fight

Dan Rafael reported Lee’s disclosure after Whittaker’s points victory, adding that both sides were discussing a rematch. The illness claim provides context for Whittaker’s performance, although how much it affected him remains unclear.

Whittaker sounded eager to face Wallace again rather than leave the late rounds as the final impression of their IBF eliminator.

“I think we should do it again and I’ll beat him down even better,” Whittaker said afterward. “If I’m honest, it was too easy. I took my eye off the ball a little bit and he come up with a good shot. That’s boxing. But what did I do? I dug it out and I won.”