Having lit up Brooklyn in June, former Olympic silver medalist Ben Whittaker boxes in Birmingham on Saturday, October 3.
Whittaker, who defeated Richard Rivera in two rounds at the Barclays Center on the Xander Zayas-Jaron Ennis bill, is now 12-0-1 (9 KOs) and the Midlands star, who is trained by Irishman Andy Lee, has been matched with Conor Wallace, an Englishman who fights out of Australia.
Wallace is a 30-year-old southpaw and, at 6ft 3 1/2ins, is half-an-inch taller than Whittaker.
His only outing of the year came when he faced Walter Gabriel Sequeira in an eight-rounder.
He is rated No. 2 by the IBF (the top spot is vacant), and No. 5 by the WBO.
Whittaker is No. 3 with the IBF, sits at two with the WBC and eight with the WBO.
The match is headed to the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, a homecoming for Whittaker, the 29-year-old “Surgeon” who promoter Eddie Hearn has said is a couple of fights away from being ready for a world title. Whittaker-Wallace, however, is a final eliminator for the IBF belt held by Dmitry Bivol, who is also promoted by Matchroom.