British light-heavyweight Ben Whittaker produced a brilliant first-round knockout against Argentina’s Braian Suarez at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool – taking his record to 11-0-1.
Liverpool’s Callum Smith was originally headlining the card but pulled out of his light-heavyweight title eliminator with Cuba’s David Morrell.
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Whittaker, 28, was elevated to top of the bill for the second time against Suarez, 34, in Liverpool. This follows two convincing wins against Benjamin Gavazi and Liam Cameron, who lasted only three rounds between them.
With the main event being pulled there were a number of empty seats around the arena.
But this did not deter showman Whittaker from showcasing his flamboyant style in front of a quiet Merseyside crowd. He even slipped a shot and gestured to the crowd for more noise.
But the fight did not last much longer with Whittaker landing a concussive right hook to the head of Suarez – who could not beat the 10 count.
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The West Midlands fighter is on the verge of a world title shot in arguably boxing’s toughest division as Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn insisted, “we’ve got to get it right”.
But, at 28, fans are calling for Whittaker to take a step up in level with tough domestic fights available.
And it is easy to understand that call considering Whittaker beat Gavazi in two minutes last November.
Suarez, who has lost five of his 26 fights, was a move in the right direction – a notable tough man if he was allowed to settle, but Whittaker laid waste to him within a round.
Whittaker’s ability to power punch has often been questioned but he answered those critics with a huge knockout.
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He told DAZN: “Don’t get it twisted, he’s a very good fighter. I was expecting a few rounds but then I wasn’t because of the work with my brother and the work with Andy.
“I’m hitting now. I’m finding my feet – I know when to play and I know when to get him out of there too.”
But it was the co-main event that was the main attraction for the crowd, as former UFC fighter Molly McCann was walked to the ring by a live performance from Liverpudlian artist Jamie Webster.
The deafening crowd roared McCann on to take her professional boxing record to 4-0 with a points win over Wales’ Ashleigh Johnson.
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Where does Whittaker go next?
In many ways, Saturday’s victory is the start of the serious part of Whittaker’s career. The part where he ups the level of opponent as goes in search of a world title.
An Olympic silver medallist and now unbeaten in 12 professional bouts, the expectation from those in boxing is that Matchroom start putting Whittaker in testing contests.
The only blemish on his record, the draw with Liam Cameron in late 2024 when they both tumbled from the ring, was quickly put right. Whittaker was able to silence some doubters with the second-round stoppage win in the 2025 rematch.
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But doubters are starting to come out of the woodwork once again – mainly complaining at the lack of competition put in front of him.
Smith’s would-be opponent Morrell wanted to face Whittaker in Liverpool, but timing is key.
Matchroom’s Frank Smith said taking on an opponent the level of Morrell “would be stupid” and “doesn’t make any sense”.
Whittaker has been tipped to fight next in America before potentially headlining a show in his hometown of Birmingham.
But who would be his dance partner in the Midlands?
The likes of Smith, Joshua Buatsi, Anthony Yarde and Willy Hutchinson would make for a huge domestic bout and test Whittaker’s mettle at a much higher level.
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Tricky path to a light-heavyweight world title
When Whittaker left Boxxer for Matchroom in October, the thought would be that the soon-to-be 29-year-old would be built into a world champion.
But caution has been taken with Whittaker, despite him being an Olympic medallist. He is now 12 fights deep into his career but is still facing opponents like Suarez who, while durable, are not top-tier contenders.
With pound-for-pound fighters Dmitry Bivol and David Benavidez holding all the cards in one of boxing’s toughest divisions, there is not much room at the top.
And let us not forget about former undisputed light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev.
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A step up to that extent may well be out of reach for the talented Whittaker but Bivol is now 35, Beterbiev is 41 and Benavidez is moving up to cruiserweight to fight Gilberto Ramirez.
Matchroom will strike when the time is right, and that could be when the likes of Bivol and Beterbiev have aged out and titles become vacant.
Anthony Joshua won a world crown when he was 26 and Dalton Smith recently claimed a world title at the age of 28.
They are both huge success stories for Matchroom in terms of growing boxers and turning them into world champions.
But Whittaker is now one of Matchroom’s highest-profile boxers after losing Conor Benn to Zuffa Boxing and Joshua running out of time in his career, so timing is essential.