Ben Whittaker to headline in Liverpool.
It’s news that everyone in the boxing fraternity dreads to hear; a fighter pulling out of a long-awaited bout.
This is unfortunate in the case of any boxing match, but when it happens to the main event–the fight everyone is there to see in the first place–the disappointment is many times more powerful.
This outcome is not favourable to anybody. It impacts the fans, who bought tickets or were simply excited to watch the fight. It impacts the fighters themselves, who put in all the work and discipline just for it to go nowhere. It impacts the promoters, who will lose money on the event.
Simply put, it’s something that nobody benefits from.
It has been revealed that Callum Smith has pulled out of his contest against David Morrell, a highly anticipated light-heavyweight bout for Smith’s WBO interim title.
The fight was set to go ahead on the 18th of April at the M&S Bank Arena in Smith’s hometown of Liverpool, but has now fallen through due to Smith suffering an unspecified injury.
However, a different light-heavyweight is set to feature at the top of the card, and it’s a popular British star with a large online following.
Ben Whittaker (10-0-1, 7 KOs) will feature in the main event against Braian Nahuel Suarez (21-4, 20 KOs), a heavy-handed Argentinian who has faced the likes of Lyndon Arthur and Albert Ramirez.
Whittaker was set to feature on the undercard of the show against an opponent who was never confirmed. Whether it was originally going to be Suarez is unknown.
Either way, the flashy Briton will be headlining his second event in a row, having last been seen brutally dispatching of Benjamin Gavazi on the top of a bill in November.
An update to our April 18 show in Liverpool ℹ️@CallumSmith23 | @DAZNBoxing | @MandSBankArena pic.twitter.com/Zb1motvivx
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) April 6, 2026
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