After two winners from two last weekend, boxing expert Chris Oliver previews Saturday's action as Ben Whittaker returns to the ring.
Boxing betting tips: Saturday April 18
2pts Ben Whittaker to win in rounds 1-3 at 8/5 (Betfred)
The show goes on in Liverpool on Saturday night despite the original main event falling off.
An injury to Callum Smith ruled him out of his mouthwatering contest with David Morrell and now BEN WHITTAKER tops the bill against Brian Suarez instead on the DAZN-televised show.
The career of the highly promising Whittaker has been a bit of a slow burner so far and this is the start of what needs to be a big year for him, but all the signs are that it could be just that.
A silver medalist at the Olympic games in 2021, he turned professional to plenty of fanfare the following year and although he won his opening eight contests, he was accused of being more style than substance with his showboating grabbing the headlines.
Then came his controversial technical draw with Liam Cameron in late 2024, when both fighters fell out of the ring during a good spell for Cameron and Whittaker was deemed unfit to continue.
However, a change of trainer to top coach Andy Lee has seen a very different Whittaker in two outings since. Firstly, he impressed when he despatched Cameron in the second round of their rematch a year ago, before halting the previously unbeaten Benjamin Gavazi inside a round on his latest outing in November.
With silky skills aplenty, 3.7 million Instagram followers and the ability to rock the microphone like few others, ‘The Surgeon’ has the potential to be a huge star in the sport and 2026 could be the year when he finally breaks out.
In his first fight since signing a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing, Whittaker made a bit of a statement against Gavazi and will be looking to do the same against Suarez this weekend.
The latter arrives from Argentina with 20 knockouts from 21 wins and that kind of knockout ratio suggests he could be dangerous here. However, closer inspection of his record and fighting style hints at otherwise.
The South American has compiled his wins against mainly very moderate opposition and his four losses have all come when he has stepped up in class. He will be best known to fans on these shores for going 10 rounds with Lyndon Arthur when stopped in Bolton two and a half years ago, as he gave a decent account of himself.
Arthur isn’t noted for his power, though, and more worrying for Suarez were his first-round defeat to Albert Ramirez in 2022 and his second-round stoppage at the hands of Sharabutdin Ataev in 2024. The latter was a standout amateur, just like Whittaker, and made very light work of Suarez, so Whittaker could do the same.
Suarez was outpointed by Vasily Voytsekhovsky last year and having lost on each occasion he has fought outside of Argentina, it is no surprise to see him as big as 12/1 to win on this latest trip abroad.
Whittaker, who is a top price of 1/14, has looked much more business-like in his two fights under the guidance of Lee, with the showboating at a minimum and a more professional approach very evident.
The West Bromwich man has looked better defensively as well and has made much more use of his excellent jab, which has been the key to opening up the defence of his last two opponents.
It is 1/4 for the favourite to register another stoppage here and it’s hard to argue with those odds. With Lee promising much more to come from his charge, Whittaker could be set to deliver another highlight reel knockout. His superior speed and better footwork really stood out against Gavazi and that could be the case again here.
Suarez knows only one way to fight and is sure to be coming forward as he looks to get on the inside, but that aggressive approach could be his downfall – just as it was for Gavazi.
Not only is Suarez much slower than Whittaker, but he also leaves himself wide open when attacking and often squares his feet up when looking to land his own shots. Those factors put him in a very dangerous position against someone as sharp and skilled as Whittaker, who I fancy to score another early stoppage.
7/10 is the best price you can get for Whittaker to win in the first half of this 10-rounder and that looks a solid bet for those willing to get involved at odds-on. Looking for a bit more value, I prefer the 8/5 available with Betfred about the home fighter winning inside the first three rounds, as I expect him to be teeing off on his slower opponent from early in the fight.
Suarez has been halted in the opening couple of rounds on two occasions already and a similar outcome beckons as he steps up in class again here.
‘Meatball’ Molly McCann (3-0) can give the scousers something to cheer about when the popular local takes on Ashleigh Johnson (3-3) in the chief support contest.
McCann is having her fourth boxing match since switching over from MMA and, having looked good so far, she should have too much for Johnson in this homecoming bout. However, a McCann victory is most likely to come via a decision and that outcome is just 4/7, which doesn’t scream value to me.
Posted at 15:45 BST on 17/04/25
Boxing: Related content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
Both of these like to go for the knockout and they carry power, but I expect Marshall to have too much on her return to boxing and the 4/1 about her getting a stoppage looks too big to me.