'It's a way of life!' - Whittaker ready to go Super Saiyan against Suarez

"You know your stuff!" he grins, as he rattles off his fandoms and franchises. "Beyblade, Jujutsu Kaisen, we've got Dragon Ball Z."

No My Hero Academia though? Whittaker laughs, his West Bromwich brogue rattling off the walls as he scoots over to a busy shelf.

"Nah, don't worry," he says, prodding at a ten-inch model of series protagonist Izuku Midoriya. "We've got some here in figurines!"

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Whittaker wows on Matchroom debut with first-round knockout

Watch: Whittaker vs. Gavazi highlights

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Whittaker has always been the animated character, but this seems one of the few passions that rivals his love for his path in life.

But for 'The Surgeon', there are more than enough parallels he can draw from his love of manga and anime to his boxing pursuits.

"To some people, it's a bit kid-friendly," he tells DAZN News. "But you can take a lot of motivation from the stories. It's a way of life."

He drums his fingers. "Let's talk Dragon Ball Z. If Goku loses a fight, does he get discouraged? No. He works hard, he comes back.

"He levels up, maybe to a Super Saiyan 2, he beats them. He meets another strong foe, he learns a new skill, goes Super Saiyan 3."

Whittaker grins. "That's boxing. You have your ups and downs, but it's about how you learn. I could be fusing with Vegeta this time around."

'The Surgeon' ready to seize latest opportunity

If Whittaker is indeed about to find another level, then spare a thought for Braian Suarez, the latest opponent to tackle 'The Surgeon'.

The pair meet this evening in Liverpool, unexpected headliners at the M&S Bank Arena in a fascinating light-heavyweight contest.

It marks a second fight under the Matchroom Boxing banner for Whittaker, the former Tokyo 2020 favourite-turned-pro contender.

But it has not been as straightforward as that. For several weeks, Eddie Hearn vowed to take his star to the United States next up.

Then, having been confirmed for this night on the undercard, Whittaker found himself unexpectedly catapulted to the top at short notice.

"When we heard the news, it was close to April Fool's Day," he laughs. "My girlfriend and manager played this little where they said it was off.

"So when I got the call, I thought they were starting with that rubbish again. The good thing is that I'm active, it's a fight, and I'm headlining now.

"For me, I've just got to take all the positives from it and move on. I'm feeling good, I'm feeling relaxed. This is the part where the work's been done."

Suarez, he admits, is a durable opponent, but as Whittaker himself puts it with his typical bravado: "He can look a certain way, but he's not fought me.

"It's about getting the job done, and coming back for banoffee pie. That's what I'm craving, with cream and a cup of tea. You can't go wrong with that."

A Merseyside playground and an American dream

At Friday's weigh-in, Whittaker debuted a mascot version of himself, complete with oversized head and squiggly-line six-pack, as he took to the scales.

Liverpool has always been a playground of sorts, less than a hundred miles up the M6 from where he grew up and cut his teeth as a younger man.

"I fought here in the amateurs, won my first elite senior titles," he muses. "I used to go there regularly. To come back here, it's something special."

Afterwards, Whittaker will have that trip to America, even if he is not at liberty to say when and where he will make his stateside debut quite yet.

But at the same time, it is a chance to tick off a long-cherished dream. Even now, he can recall the bout overseas that hooked him in the first place.

Matchroom Boxing

"I remember the fight I stayed up for the first time to watch was Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Ricky Hatton," he recalls. "I didn't know too much about boxing.

"But the atmosphere, the whole way it was set up, I thought it was crazy. I always stayed up for the big nights after that. I always thought I'd love to be there."

Does he have a favourite venue? Whittaker grins, coy. "The MGM Grand [in Las Vegas]. But I'd be happy to fight anywhere. Being in the ring is when I look the best.

Time is almost up. Whittaker glances back towards his figurines, the superhero cape-and-cowl collection of My Hero Academia foremost in his eyelines.

"In America," he concludes. "They get my style a little more. They get my character." He pauses, then quirks his lips once more. "I think they'll appreciate me."

Whittaker vs. Suarez only on DAZN 

Watch Ben Whittaker vs. Braian Suarez this Saturday, April 18, only on DAZN subscription. Monthly and annual subscriptions are available.

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