Given the hype and all the talk surrounding Ben Whittaker these days, it is probably a good thing that Braian Suarez's grasp of the English language is, at best, limited.
Suarez, of course, will be the next man to fight Whittaker on Saturday in Liverpool and he has travelled all the way from Argentina for the opportunity.
Ahead of the fight, at a pre-fight press conference this afternoon, he spoke mostly in his native tongue, which seemed to confuse Whittaker, for he claimed to have heard Suarez speaking English only yesterday. Yet Suarez, when pressed, admitted that he is “still learning” English and confessed that he didn’t feel comfortable expressing himself in that language in front of the public.
As a result, his words had to be translated. As a result, his message to Whittaker, 10-0-1 (7 KOs), was kept short and simple.
“I think my record speaks for itself,” said Suarez, a light-heavyweight with a 21-4 (20 KOs) professional record. “Theres no need to speculate: I’m an attacking fighter. I’m here to rough up Ben and you’re going to see how that goes down on Saturday.
“As for my comment about him making a big mistake bringing me here, and it being all over for him, you’ll see that I’m true to my word on Saturday. This Saturday I will be walking away with the victory and afterwards I want to be the second Argentinian fighter signed up to Matchroom.”
If Suarez was hamstrung somewhat by his inability to speak English to the English media, Whittaker’s decision to quickly get to the point was perhaps motivated by fatigue. He is, after all, just 24 hours from weighing in and 48 hours from fighting Suarez. He is also a man who has, in a short space of time, already had a lot to say for himself as a professional.
Now, having secured two quick knockout wins last year (a second-round stoppage of Liam Cameron followed by a first-round stoppage of Benjamin Gavazi), the man from Wolverhampton is all business, it would appear.
“They can all talk and say they will do this and do that, but on Saturday we’ll see,” he said to start. “It’s a fight that I liked, a fight that I need, and when fighters come to fight like this, the best Ben Whittaker turns up.
“It’s all about activity, it’s all about getting in the ring, it’s all about presenting myself the way Andy [Lee, coach] sees in the gym. I’m a professional. I’ve had more time [to prepare] and, if anything, it has made me scarier. I’ve had time to work, iron out those little things we needed to iron out, and you’ll see on Saturday.
“All he can do is walk forward with those slow-arse platypus feet and that big-arse Roblox head, and all I’m going to do is go out there, look pretty, look good, listen to my team, and however long it lasts, it lasts.”
Chances are the fight between Whittaker and Suarez will last longer than this afternoon’s final press conference. It will last longer, for one, because Suarez presents a slightly sterner test than Whittaker’s recent opposition, and it will last longer, too, because in the ring both light-heavyweights will be able to converse in the same language.
