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
Fabio Wardley stops Nathan Gorman in Round 3 to win the vacant British heavyweight title!
Whyte vs Franklin LIVE
Wardley vs Gorman – Round 3
Gorman is warned for a punch to the back of Wardley’s head.
The fighters then trade jabs for a spell, before clinching briefly.
They separate, and Wardley presses forward once again… A right cross hurts Gorman, and a left puts him down!!
That’s three times in two rounds, but once more he shows his resilience to stand...
He’s immediately put under pressure by Wardley, though, who fires off a series of straight shots with Gorman on the ropes… and the towel comes in!
Wardley gets it done!! He’s fired up!
Whyte vs Franklin LIVE
Wardley vs Gorman – Round 2
WOW! Wardley seems to get wobbled by a left hook, then a right straight, but he comes back and puts down Gorman with a right cross against the ropes!!
Gorman beats the referee’s count, though!
Wardley’s nose is bloodied, but he’s undettered as he goes for the finish! Still, Gorman comes back with heavy hooks.
But he goes down again after another right straight, with Wardley backing him up against the ropes once more!
Gorman stands again and survives to the end of the round!
Whyte vs Franklin LIVE
Wardley vs Gorman – Round 1
Probing jabs and left hooks from Gorman early, as he leads the dance. Wardley is parrying the jabs and slipping the hooks for the most part.
Gorman slings an uppercut through Wardley’s guard, though, then unloads with hooks to the body. There’s a bit of grappling on the ropes, before Wardley finally gets on the front foot in the final seconds.
Whyte vs Franklin LIVE
Wardley vs Gorman is under way at Wembley Arena!
Whyte vs Franklin LIVE
The sole defeat of Gorman’s career came against Daniel Dubois via stoppage in 2019.
Whyte vs Franklin LIVE
Gorman, 26, has a pro record of 19-1 with 13 KOs.
Whyte vs Franklin LIVE
Wardley, 27, is unbeaten at 14-0, with 13 knockouts to his name.
Whyte vs Franklin LIVE
Up next, it’s the co-main event, as Fabio Wardley – a training partner of Dillian Whyte – fights Nathan Gorman for the vacant British heavyweight title.
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