Light heavyweight Ben Whittaker has stepped into the headline slot this Saturday at the Liverpool Arena, replacing the injured Callum Smith, who was penned to square-off with David Morrell.
With the original headliner being pulled, Whittaker now welcomes Argentine Braian Suarez to England in a new main event.
Whittaker (10-0-1, 7 KOs) would receive a callout from the Cuban former world champion as he still wanted to fight on his originally scheduled date. “I’m ready to fight April 18th,” Morrell said to Whittaker on social media. “How are you older than me and still a prospect? Let’s give the fans the fight they want to see!”
Morrell (12-1, 9 KOs), a former WBA world champion, was due to challenge for the WBO interim title, effectively making the bout an eliminator for the Dmitry Bivol’s world title.
“They all call me out for a reason, I suppose. 100 per cent it’s a compliment,” Whittaker said in a statement sent to Boxing Social. “On paper, perhaps I haven’t done too much yet, but they are calling me out. So, when you have these guys who are world champions, or who have fought for world titles, calling me out then it shows I’m doing something right. But, for me, when I get there, I want to stay there. That’s why I listen to my team and trust the process in taking the fights that I’m supposed to be taking for now, then take over.”
With a view of making appearances in America, it might not be too long until Whittaker and Morrell meet one day. Until then, Whittaker must handle the experienced Suarez, who has struggled when stepping up to world level.
“Training camp has gone well, like everybody says. But I’m in a good place. I’m confident, I feel good,” Whittaker added. “So now it’s just a case of going out there and performing a game plan. For me, activity is key. I want to look good and win. The more you win, the more you get the bigger fights – and for me, that’s all that matters.
“As a fighter, you always want to steal the show. So being the headliner is something special to me. I’ve fought here in Liverpool plenty of times. It is where I won my first ABA title, so this place genuinely means something to me.”
