Ben Whittaker vs Braian Suarez Weigh-In!
(April 17th) Ben Whittaker, Braian Suarez and the full card hit the scales in Liverpool as Whittaker goes head-to-head with Suarez for the final time before tomorrow’s opening bell.
Official Weigh‑In Results
Main Event – Light Heavyweight - 10 rounds
Ben Whittaker: 182.14lbs vs Braian Suarez 182.1lbs
Super Bantamweight – 8 rounds
Molly McCann 121.7lbs vs Ashleigh Johnson 120.15lbs
Central Area & WBA Continental Gold Super Bantamweight Title – 10 rounds
Joe McGrail 121.14 lbs vs Aaron Hayden 120.15lbs
Heavyweight – 6 rounds
Leo Atang 238.1lbs vs Viktar Chvarkou 217.11lbs
Middleweight – 8 rounds
Stephen Clarke 161.8lbs vs Luis Enrique Montelongo Morales 160.10lbs
Middleweight – 6 rounds
Jack Power 161.7lbs vs Novak Radulovic 161.6lbs
Super Featherweight – 4 rounds
Sam Norris 132.8lbs vs Jahfieus Faure 132.5lbs
Super Middleweight – 6 rounds
Tom Rafferty 163.3lbs vs Pablo Sosa: 162lbs
Ben Whittaker vs Braian Suarez Final Presser!
(April 16th) Fighters and promoters gather in Liverpool for the official Ben Whittaker vs Braian Suarez final press conference ahead of a high-stakes boxing event.
Undefeated Whittaker (10-0-1, 7 KOs), trained by the great Andy Lee in Ireland, is looking forward to travelling across the Irish Sea to Merseyside to Main Event in Liverpool.
“Performing in front of the Scousers, who are a set of true fight fans, for the first time is going to be special,” said Whittaker.
“I’m really looking forward to headlining in Liverpool. I know everyone was expecting me to be fighting next in America – and that’s still very much the plan. I need to win this and we’ll be making a big announcement on that soon.
“But it is important for me to stay active as a fighter. So I am delighted to be able to jump on this great Liverpool card to keep myself ticking over.”
Ben Whittaker
Whittaker repeatedly framed Suarez as dangerous on paper but harmless in reality, stressing that this kind of aggressive‑style opponent “brings out the best Ben Whittaker.”
On the matchup:
“This is a fight I like, and it is a fight that I need. When fighters come to fight like this, the best Ben Whittaker turns up. On Saturday, we’ll see.”
On Suarez’s style:
“All he can do is walk forward with those slow‑arse platypus feet and that big‑arse Roblox head. So I’ll go out there, look good, listen to my team, and however long it lasts, it lasts.”
On the hype and his next step:
“On paper, he’s the best opponent I’ve fought right now… When I dust him, we’ll see what’s next.”
Braian Suarez’s quotes
Suarez, speaking through an interpreter, leaned into his reputation as a 20‑KO puncher and said Whittaker was in a big trouble for bringing him over.
On his record and intent:
“My record speaks for itself. I’m an attacking fighter. I’m here to rough up Ben. You’re going to see how that goes down on Saturday.”
On the “big mistake” line:
“You guys have made a big mistake bringing me over. You’ll see I’m true to my word on Saturday. I’ll be walking away with the victory.”
On signing with Matchroom:
“Afterwards I want to be the second Argentinian fighter signed up to Matchroom.”
Eddie Hearn quotes
Hearn framed the show as a breakout moment for Whittaker and backed the toughness of the matchup while promising bigger fights ahead.
On Whittaker headlining:
“Welcome to the BOXPARK in Liverpool ahead of a big show this Saturday night, of course headlined now by what we believe is one of the biggest starts in world boxing: Ben Whittaker. He’s in a very tough fight against Braian Suarez.”
On the significance of Suarez:
“This is a serious, dangerous opponent. He’s got 20‑plus knockouts; he’s fought for the IBO title. On paper this is the toughest opponent Ben has faced yet.”
On Whittaker’s future (broader context, repeated in camp/PL links):
“We believe he’s one of the real future stars of the sport. If he looks good and wins this fight, there’s no reason why he won’t be in a big‑level world‑title fight by 2027.”
Andy Lee
Lee positioned Suarez as a “real test” but insisted Whittaker has improved to a new level under his tutelage.
On the matchup:
“This is a real test and a serious challenge, but if Ben is going to do what I think he’ll do in the sport, these are the challenges he needs.”
On Whittaker’s development:
“What I’ve seen from Ben in this camp, he’s just gone to a whole new level. His ceiling, I don’t know where it is. He keeps getting better and better and better. It’s scary, and very exciting.”
On the Liverpool show:
“Ben’s stepped in to main event here in Liverpool and taken the opportunity. It’s a chance for everyone in this city to see one of the future stars of boxing. You can say you were there when he fought Suarez and knocked Suarez out.”
Britain’s most exciting fighter Ben Whittaker takes on Argentina’s dangerous Braian Suarez in the new Main Event at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena this Saturday, April 18th – live worldwide on the Global Home of Boxing, DAZN.
An injury, sustained during his training camp, has ruled Callum Smith out of his upcoming WBO Interim Light Heavyweight Championship fight with David Morrell.
The ‘Surgeon’ Whittaker steps in to headline for only the third time in his career, looking to light up the famous fighting city of Liverpool in the same dazzling manner as his Matchroom Boxing debut against Benjamin Gavazi last November in Birmingham, when he brilliantly bulldozed his German rival inside the first round.
Buenos Aires native Suarez – who has 20 KOs from his 21 wins in 25 bouts – will look to bring more bite to Merseyside, however, having previously fought for the IBO World Light Heavyweight Title against Lyndon Arthur on his last visit to the UK, three years ago.
But another statement performance from The Ring Magazine’s Prospect of the Year nominee Whittaker – ranked No.3 in the world by the WBC and No.5 by the IBF – will help set up a huge, prospective American debut for the Team GB Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Silver Medalist.
“Naturally, it is a massive blow to lose a mega fight so close to the event and we wish Callum a speedy recovery,” said Matchroom Sport Chairman, Eddie Hearn.
“But the show goes on – and it remains an unmissable night of boxing, headlined by arguably one of the greatest showmen in the sport today in Ben Whittaker. He is box office in whatever city in the world he is fighting in.
“Of course, the carrot of his eventual big US debut is dangling. And Ben will be out to show once again why he will be the future of this sport as the eventual ruler of the 175lbs division. It will be a solid test for him against Braian Suarez, who is a dangerous, heavy-hitting opponent with 20 stoppages on his resumé.”
Evertonian ‘Meatball’ Molly McCann will undoubtedly raise the roof at the M&S Bank Arena when she fights for the first time in her home city, against Wales’ Super Bantamweight Ashleigh Johnson, in what will be her fourth fight since turning professional.
Joe McGrail meanwhile, battles Aaron Hayden for the Central Area Super Bantamweight belt. Young, unbeaten teenage Heavyweight sensation Leo Atang is in action too as he seeks his sixth stoppage in as many fights – and Hearn expects it to be yet another entertaining UK spectacle, live on DAZN.
“Liverpool never disappoints for a Fight Night. And you can guarantee the atmosphere will be rocking for ‘Meatball’ Molly McCann,” Hearn added.
“Plus, we can look forward to what is the next stop on the knockout roadshow for destructive young Heavyweight Leo Atang, the homecoming return Joe McGrail, and plenty more Merseyside talent including the likes of Ste Clarke and Sam Norris. It will be a great night, live on the Global Home of Boxing, DAZN.”
About DAZN Group
DAZN Group is one of the fastest growing sports media companies in the world. Headquartered in the UK and with employees in over 25 countries, our businesses touch every aspect of the way fans engage with sports; from production, through to content distribution and commercialization. DAZN Group is home to DAZN, the leading global sport destination, as well as the popular sport portal, DAZN News. DAZN is leading the charge to give sports fans around the world access to sport anytime, anywhere. DAZN guarantees affordable access on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles. DAZN is now live in more than 200 countries and territories after first launching in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan in 2016.
DAZN is a leading digital sports platform in Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Japan, Canada, US and the UK. Its wide range of exclusive content includes top-flight football from the world’s most popular competitions – Bundesliga, English Premier League, J.League, LaLiga, Serie A, and the UEFA Champions League, in addition to the biggest sports from around the world - Formula 1, NFL, NBA, MotoGP and the UFC.
DAZN is the NFL’s global partner and, from the 2023 season, will be the only place for fans around the world to watch every NFL match. DAZN is a global home for boxing and combat sports through its partnerships with Matchroom Boxing the Professional Fighters League. With the most authentic voice in the sport, DAZN is the only brand that can reach across all markets and audiences cohesively in boxing, unlike any other broadcaster. DAZN is also a global home for Women’s Football with UEFA Women’s Champions League and Finetwork Liga F. DAZN is adding more and more sport to its platform to create a destination for sports fans.
DAZN is reimagining the way people enjoy sport. With a single, frictionless platform, sports fans can watch, bet, play, share, socialise, and buy tickets, NFTs and merchandise. Live and on-demand sports content, anywhere, in any language, on any device – only on DAZN.
DAZN is a global, privately-owned company with employees in over 25 countries.
DAZN is available on most connected devices including smart TVs, set-top boxes, streaming sticks, smartphones, tablets, PCs and game consoles, ensuring that fans have access to ground-breaking rights catalogue and slate of incredible content. In the UK and globally, DAZN can be accessed on Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic Smart TVs and on Games Consoles including Playstation and Xbox. Subscribers also have access to DAZN on their Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google Chromecast and Apple TV and find the app on their iPhone, iPad, android and mobile.
About Matchroom Boxing
After the success of snooker in the 1980s, Matchroom Sport moved into boxing with two small hall shows followed by Frank Bruno v Joe Bugner at Tottenham Hotspur’s ground – the biggest boxing event of 1987. That launched the company into the boxing big-time, a position it has maintained ever since.
Through the 1990s Matchroom Sport’s boxing roster featured many of the biggest names in the sport including Lennox Lewis, Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank, Steve Collins and Naseem Hamed, all in world title fights and it continues to work with some of the biggest names in UK boxing including Audley Harrison, the 2000 Olympic Super-Heavyweight gold medalist.
Over the years, Matchroom Sport has built up long-standing relationships with broadcasters around the world and with the advent of the Prizefighter phenomenon, the company’s boxing division has never been in a stronger position.
From fantastic six round scraps between the sport’s journeymen, up to multi-million-dollar World Championship contests featuring the above fighters, the Pro Box series has it all. Each show is packed with the very best in boxing action in a series that encompasses almost 25 years of Matchroom Sport’s commitment to bringing the highest quality to the global television market.
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