Ben Whittaker headlines at Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena on Saturday in a test against Argentina's Braian Suarez, after being upgraded to main event last week when Callum Smith withdrew from his fight with David Morrell. Whittaker has not had a smooth boxing passage from his Olympic silver medal win in Tokyo in 2021 to this main event opportunity. In late 2024, he tumbled from the ring with Liam Cameron, resulting in a technical-decision draw that drew harsh criticism from critics.
Six months later, with Andy Lee in his corner, Whittaker stopped Cameron in round two. He was inactive during a period when he switched promotional camps, but last fought in November, winning in just over two minutes. He remains unbeaten in 11 professional fights.
The first fight with Cameron was what I needed. It saved my career because I was a little lost; I was a train crash waiting to happen. It reminded me that boxing was real, and I needed that reminder at that time.
The light-heavyweight division has been dominated for nearly a decade by Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev, who have one win each in fights against each other. Bivol returns at the end of May, while Beterbiev remains in recess. Whittaker is on the very edge of recognition in the division and on the outside looking in at more established British professionals at his weight.
Callum Smith is at the top of the pile among British light-heavyweights, and Joshua Buatsi, Willy Hutchinson, Anthony Yarde, and Zach Parker are all viable, difficult, and necessary targets for Whittaker. Callum Smith vs. David Morrell was a rare, old-school clash between two men inside the world's top five, with just a hint of a world-title fight as the bounty.
The move to Andy was exactly what I needed at the right time. I was getting a bit carried away. All I needed was a ring and a bag. When I started, the amateur club was in a school and there was not even a ring.
It was a whirlwind after the Olympics. Now, I have to make it happen, and I'm ready.