Ben Whittaker Stops Richard Rivera in Second Round on U.S. Debut

Ben Whittaker defeated Richard Rivera by second-round stoppage at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, bbc.co.uk reported. The bout was Whittaker's first fight in the United States. Whittaker dropped Rivera with a right hand at the end of the first round.

Rivera said the punch landed on the back of his head. Whittaker knocked Rivera down again with a left hand early in the second round, and the referee stopped the light-heavyweight contest after Rivera stood up. Whittaker improved his professional record to 12 wins and one draw.

Rivera suffered the third loss of his 30-fight career. Whittaker danced briefly at the end of the opening round before returning to his corner. "Brooklyn, that's how you do it man," Whittaker said after the fight.

On the same card, Jaron Ennis stopped Xander Zayas in the seventh round to claim the WBA and WBO super-welterweight titles. Zayas was knocked down three times before the referee halted the bout. Zayas entered the fight with an undefeated record of 24 wins, while Ennis remained unbeaten with 36 wins from 36 professional fights.