Whittaker faces Braian Nahuel Suarez at the Liverpool Arena on Saturday 18 April, a match which has drawn criticism as a thin main event. The reaction centered on the gap between his rising profile and the level of opposition, especially for a mainline.
He addressed the fight in simple terms and made it clear what he expected it to look like.
“On paper he’s a good opponent, but I just feel like if I go out there and do what I’m supposed to do, I’ll really show the levels,” Whittaker told James Sweetnam.
“It can either go the whole 10 or knock him down and get him out of there. I know no matter what, I’ll win.”
The tone wasn’t dismissive, but it didn’t present the fight as competitive either. Whittaker also left the outcome open, saying it could go the distance or end up within the limit, while saying he expects to win regardless.
The more revealing part of the interview came when the discussion moved away from Saturday to the division’s top names. Asked about a potential fight with unified light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, Whittaker spoke confidently about his ability to compete at that level.
“At the end of the day, he’s just another guy. Nobody really moves like me at light heavyweight. Nobody’s really got my speed, my athleticism, my agility,” Whittaker said.
2020 Olympic silver medalist Whittaker, who recently signed with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, speaks in terms of established champions, but he is yet to be matched against higher-level contenders. Mentioning Bivol instead of contenders Artur Beterbiev or David Morrell just makes it sound so.
Reflecting on past fights, Whittaker said he enjoyed negative reactions from crowds and saw it as part of the experience.
“If I go out there and shut everybody up, I kind of like it.”
Saturday likely won’t show much about where the 28-year-old Whittaker (10-0-1, 7 KOs) fits among the top men at 175. This will probably keep the same question going. Is he ready to back up the talk?
