Ben Whittaker ready to take bite of the Big Apple after latest knockout show

Ben Whittaker is heading for a summer date in New York - before a planned return to the Midlands - after blowing away Braian Suarez inside a round.

Darlaston’s boxing hero claimed his second first round knockout in succession on Saturday in Liverpool to further underline his star potential.

Promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed Whittaker, who has made short work of his last three opponents, will now make his US debut on the undercard of Jaron Ennis and Xander Zayas’ WBO world super welterweight clash at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on June 27.

Should that go as planned, the 28-year-old will then head back to Birmingham for what Hearn described as a “big domestic fight” in either late August or early September, with the aim of fighting for a world light-heavyweight title next year.

Hearn said: “What you are seeing is the evolution of the next superstar of British boxing in Ben Whittaker.

“Some might like it, some might not. Tough, you have to get used to it.

“I watch him walk into the ring and I am just thinking superstar, superstar, superstar.

“It is almost annoying how slick he looks. He has something special.”

Whittaker has won each of his last three bouts inside the opening two rounds since switching to Irish trainer Andy Lee.

The emphatic win over Argentina’s Suarez, a former challenger for the IBO world belt, will only intensify calls for the Tokyo 2020 silver medallist to take-on one of the light-heavy division’s more established stars.

Suarez, who had warned Whittaker he had made a “big mistake” by agreeing to face him, was sent sprawling to the canvas by a swinging right a little over two minutes into the contest.

“The division is full of monsters,” said Hearn. “But Ben is 100 per cent going to be in with the monsters in 2027.

“Is he good enough? I truly believe so. But we are going to find out.”