Dillian Whyte vs Jermaine Franklin LIVE: Stream, latest updates and fight result tonight
Relive round-by-round updates as British heavyweight Whyte defeated American Franklin at Wembley Arena in London
Dillian Whyte was a majority-decision winner against Jermaine Franklin in a heavyweight main event at London’s Wembley Arena on Saturday tonight.
In April, just a matter of metres away from this evening’s venue, Whyte suffered a heartbreaking knockout loss to Tyson Fury at Wembley Stadium, failing to dethrone the WBC champion in front of 94,000 fans. Here, Whyte, 34, looked to bounce back, as the Briton took on unbeaten American Franklin.
By the end of the evening, Franklin was no longer undefeated, but a weary Whyte had also failed to bounce back with the spring that he would have hoped for. Whyte was declared a 116-112 winner on two of the judges’ scorecards, while the other read 115-115. The Briton found early success with vicious hooks to the body of Franklin, but the 29-year-old did well to fire back each time Whyte seemed to be building momentum.
It made for a dramatic conclusion to the fight, with the winner apparently up in the air. Whyte landed a huge left hook to send Franklin tumbling onto the ropes in the final seconds of the last round, but still Franklin retaliated with focused shots. Ultimately, however, the American suffered a first professional defeat as Whyte’s hand was raised, setting up a potential rematch with Anthony Joshua, who was sat ringside.
Relive Whyte vs Franklin fight updates with our blog below.
Whyte vs Franklin LIVE
Round 5
Brutal left hook to the body from Whyte. That landed with a sickening thud.
A clean right cross gets through for Franklin, however, driven into the mid-section of Whyte.
The Briton with a nice change of angles now, though.
Nasty output to the body from Whyte, who then changes levels with a strong right hook to the head!
Franklin does well to reverse the position, and the fighters trade uppercuts!
Whyte vs Franklin LIVE
Round 4
Whyte is still fighting on the front foot, but Franklin is trying to retain his opponent’s respect with a decent level of output.
The American is looking less creative now, though, and a little more laboured.
Whyte vs Franklin LIVE
Round 3
Franklin connects with a grazing right hook around Whyte’s guard. Now Whyte buries a left hook into the body of Franklin, then another.
Whyte fires off a third, but this one seems low. No complaints from Franklin, but he retaliates with his own spiteful body hook.
Whyte with a scraping uppercut to the head, which just about finds its target.
More and more right hooks to the body from Whyte.
Whyte vs Franklin LIVE
Round 2
Whyte is looking to counter Franklin’s jab with a right crooss over the top. The Briton blocks a right hook upstairs then curls a hook into Franklin’s midriff.
Franklin comes back with a fierce combination to the head, though!
Franklin changes levels well in the final seconds, finding right hooks to the body and head of Whyte, but the Briton also just about catches his opponent on the end of a straight one-two.
Whyte vs Franklin LIVE
Round 1
Whyte starts in an orthodox stance, unlike how he began against Fury but as is typical for the “Bodysnatcher”.
He backs up Franklin early, but the American creates a bit of space by testing Whyte with left hooks. Whyte’s guard holds up.
Whyte looks relaxed and patient, but he opens up slightly with a left hook as Franklin turns up the aggression briefly.
Whyte unloads with a heavy right-left combination to the body. Franklin catches him on the end of a short right hand to the head, then lands a hook up top as Whyte targets the body once more – not a bad tactic by Franklin.
Whyte vs Franklin LIVE
And, as usual for Whyte, it gives way to AC/DC’s “Back In Black”!
Whyte vs Franklin LIVE
Now here comes Whyte to the Jaws theme music!
Whyte vs Franklin LIVE
Not much waiting around! Franklin is already making his walk!
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