The light heavyweight contender is known as ‘The Surgeon’ and swiftly and efficiently cut through the outclassed Argentinean.

Originally, the fight had been scheduled to provide an interesting chief support to Callum Smith’s interim WBO light heavyweight title fight with David Morrell. Smith’s withdrawal with a rib injury enabled the 28-year-old from West Bromwich to the top of the bill as Matchroom looks to position him for a sustained push toward the top of the light heavyweight division in 2026.

The charismatic Whittaker (11-0-1, 8 KOs) isn’t the type to shy away from the spotlight.

“Woo. That was good, innit? That was good, baby,” he said after watching a replay of the finishing sequence. “Don't get it twisted, he’s a very good fighter. I was expecting a couple of rounds, but then I wasn’t as well because the work with my brother, the work with Andy [Lee, his trainer], it’s been amazing, man.

“I can still play. I was just getting into my rhythm to start showboating and having a bit of fun, but I’m hitting now. I’m hitting. To take somebody like that out in the first round, it shows where I’m at.”

Both men weighed in seven pounds above the light heavyweight limit of 175 pounds for the scheduled 10-round fight.

Whittaker’s viral showboating clips and flashy style have earned him a huge following on social media, but the 28-year-old usually tries to establish control before running through his repertoire.

The difference in speed and skill was so immediately obvious against Suarez that Whittaker instantly dipped into his bag of tricks. He dominated the early exchanges behind a snappy jab and a sharp right hand as Suarez (21-5, 20 KOs) struggled badly to close the distance.

Before the fight, the 34-year-old Suarez promised to rough Whittaker up, but as well as well as being heavy handed, Suarez is vulnerable himself and has been taken out quickly in the past.

He finally managed to get himself into a clinch, but rather than going to work, he was quickly turned and complained to the referee about being hit on the back of the head.

Whittaker leapt on the mistake instantly. He immediately seized the initiative. Another right hand high on the head dropped Suarez heavily. Suarez didn’t show any real desire to beat Steve Gray’s count and the fight was waved off after 2:24 of the opening round.

After the fight, Whittaker’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, confirmed that Whittaker will make his American debut June 27 on the undercard of the fight between WBA and WBO 154-pound champion Xander Zayas and former Ring, WBA and IBF welterweight titleholder Jaron “Boots” Ennis.

“Next up, he’s going to be where he should be,” Hearn said. “He’s going to be where all the superstars go and like to walk in front of the bright lights. New York, he’s coming. Jaron Ennis against Xander Zayas, Barclay Center, Brooklyn. You’re going to see the true star of British boxing, Ben Whittaker, make his American debut on June 27th, number one.

“Then we’re going to come back and we’re going to headline back in Birmingham in a big fight, whether that’s a big domestic fight or whether that’s a final eliminator for the world championship. By the end of that period, I truly believe in 2027 he’ll be ready for every 175-pounder in the world.”

Liverpool’s Molly McCann (4-0, 1 KO) hadn’t fought in front of her home crowd since being choked out at M&S Bank Arena in her UFC debut all the way back in 2018.

The former mixed martial artist has waited and waited for the chance to provide her fans with some happier memories and the junior bantamweight did that by outpointing Ashleigh Johnson (3-4) over eight rounds on the Whittaker-Suarez undercard.

Johnson was unfairly left standing in the ring whilst Liverpool artist, Jamie Webster, performed two entrance songs for McCann, but she got straight onto the front foot.

McCann is now 35 years old, but she acknowledges that she is still adapting her style to suit the boxing ring. Known for her aggression, she managed to avoid getting swept up in the occasion and boxed calmly in the opening round.

Before the fight, McCann told The Ring that she had been working on her footwork and on pacing her attacks rather than chasing a knockout. For the most part she did that, but Johnson walked through McCann’s best shots and was forced to hold her feet at times.

McCann had faster hands and feet and picked the better shots and deserved the 78-74 decision she was awarded.

Liverpool junior featherweight Joe McGrail scored a career-best victory with a fifth-round stoppage of the previously undefeated Aaron Hayden.

McGrail (13-0, 6 KOs) trains alongside former WBA featherweight champion Nick Ball, at Liverpool’s Everton Red Triangle gym. Although the 23-year-old prospect has shown flashes of his ability, injuries have prevented him from building momentum.

Hayden (10-1, 2 KOs), on the other hand, has stayed extremely busy since nearly a three-year layoff.

Lines were immediately drawn. The unorthodox, switch-hitting Hayden skirted the ring looking for counter shots whilst the shorter McGrail kept his hands tight and his punches straight.

Rather than biting on Hayden’s feints, McGrail smartly decided to counter the counterpuncher. In an attempt to make his mark, Hayden tried to push the pace toward the end of the second but walked into a left hook.

Hayden redoubled his efforts in the fourth and his increased output did give McGrail something else to think about. The Liverpudlian remained neat and tidy. His right hand was an accurate weapon and when he did target the body, he had success.

Things came to a sudden end early in the fifth. Firstly, Hayden emerged from a clinch with blood pouring from a bad cut over his right eye.

Rather than rushing to find a finish, McGrail kept his composure. He stayed in the pocket and found a well-timed left hook to the pit of Hayden’s stomach. The 31-year-old Hayden dropped to the canvas and was counted out.

Unbeaten Leo Atang (6-0, 5 KOs) eased to a comfortable victory over Kazakhstan’s Viktar Chvarkou (6-33, 3 KOs), but the 19-year-old heavyweight was taken the distance for the first time in his young career.

After six rounds, Atang was awarded a 59-54 decision.

The 19-year-old from York blew through Dan Garber in less than a minute February 21 in Nottingham. Earlier this week, the teenager told The Ring that whilst – on paper – the result was the most impressive of his short career, he was disappointed with the way he rushed his work.

Atang took the front foot but rather than trying to blast through Chvarkou’s guard, he tried to create openings with his jab and a series of feints. He seemed to hurt the Kazakh with a stabbing left hook to the body midway through the second round and began to close the distance and up the pressure in the third.

Chvarkou was able to smother much of Atang’s work and the teenager found him much harder to hit cleanly than his previous opponents. Atang had a point deducted after using his head to create some room in the fourth and spent much of the fight either just out of range or a touch too close.

He landed a picture-perfect right hand in the fifth, but he found it difficult to string his punches together and had to settle for a decision win. He will have learned plenty from the whole experience.

On the preliminary portion of the Matchroom card, middleweight prospect Stephen Clarke got the first real shock of his professional career. Clarke (10-0, 2 KOs) was dropped heavily in the fourth round of his eight-round fight with Mexico's Luis Morales (18-17, 4 KOs), but he got up and navigated his way to the final bell and secured a 78-73 decision.

The remaining results from the Whittaker-Suarez undercard are listed below.

Middleweight: Jack Power (8-0, 2 KOs) def. Novak Radulovic (21-16-1, 8 KOs) by sixth-round TKO

Junior lightweight: Sam Norris (3-0) def. Jahfieus Faure (4-25-3) by four-round decision

Middleweight: Tom Rafferty (17-0, 7 KOs) def. Pablo Sosa (12-11-3, 3 KOs) by third-round TKO