Big Fight Weekend Boxing Podcast

It was a WILD weekend of action all over the globe from Thailand to Saudi Arabia to Connecticut to Australia and we're covering all the fights and some news on the newest "Fight Freaks Unite Recap Podcast!"

Host T.J. Rives and insider Dan Rafael of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack and Newsletter are back to give their takes and insight.

We start with the heavyweights from Friday and Saturday
 
Friday in Pattaya, Thailand

Tyson Fury TKO7 Mariusz Wach, as expected. How did Fury look in leading to the likely fight with Joshua?

Then, Saturday from Jeddah Season DAZN PPV card in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Anthony Joshua KO2 Kristian Prenga in a CRAZ:Y two round slugfest. Joshua showed immediate vulderabllity with his chin and could have been kayoed in the 1st. However, he survives the high drama and drops and stops Prenga. And, amazing turn and ending in just 2 rounds and what does it mean for the fight with Fury? The guys have their thoughts on all of it.

Also, the two co-feature fights- Super middleweight Hamzah Sheeraz W12 majority Simon Zachenhuber, retains WBO title in an AWFUL fight. And, Junior middleweight Josh Kelly W12 Caoimhin Agyarko, retains IBF title and is Jaron "Boots" Ennis next? 

Saturday PBC on Prime Video PPV in Sydney, Australia

Middleweight Tim Tszyu W12 Errol Spence in the main event, as Spence returned for the first time in three years and fought hard but not well enough. And, what's the future for both?

Some News from the show down under-

Stephen Fulton WAY overweight so WBA 130 lb. eliminator vs. Liam Wilson was canceled. Contract was 130 lb.. Fulton asked to raise it to 133 lb.s couple of days before fight ad that was accepted and changed to a 10 round fight and not a title eliminator. Then, Fulton weighed 139.5 – 9.5 over original contract, 6.5 over the amended contract. He miissed his exit by 20 exits on the highway! WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE and since this is the second time Fulton has done this, this year, should he be severly punished/suspended?

Also, Friday night CES Boxing card on DAZN in Uncasville, Conn.

Super middleweight Demetrius Andrade KO1 Douglas Ataide. Andrade returns and wins quick. And, he in the picture for bigger stuff at 168 lb.

More News

Top Rank signed junior welterweight contender Frank "The Ghost" Martin has to a “multi-year promotional contract” and he will fight in the fall, the company announced.

Junior middleweights Nikita Tszyu (Tim’s younger brother) and Ben Mahoney are set for an IBF junior middleweight eliminator on Aug. 26 in Australia.

And, Janibek Alimkhanuly has vacated the WBO middleweight title and is moving up to super middleweight when his suspension for a failed drug test ends in December. Interim titlist Denzel Bentleyof England was elevated to full titleholder.

We have it all on the "Fight Freaks Unite Recap" Podcast and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.

We were LIVE on Thursday afternoon on our Youtube channel with a special edition of our "Big Fight Weekend Preview" with host T.J. Rives and insider Dan Rafael.

On this show they were getting ready for former two time heavyweight champ Tyson Fury fighting Friday night in Thailand against veteran Mariusz Wadh in anticiaption of meeting Anthony Joshua later this year. The former unified heavyweight champ Joshua is also back in the ring for the first time in 2026 battling in Saudi Arabia Saturday night against little known Kristian Prenga. The guys go over the matchups and what little chance either opponent has to do against them.

Plus, it's also it's a PPV showdown of former world champs as former junior middleweight champ Tim Tszyu batting former unified welterweight champ Errol Spence on Sunday afternoon in Sydney, Australia (Saturday night in the USA)! The guys have takes and predictions on who wins this "crossroads fight."

They go over it all and there's fight news on the new official date for Canelo Alvarez's return later this Fall in Saudi Arabia, And, Aussie Jai Opetaia is suing the International Boxing Federation to try to get his cruiserweight title back. And, they go over other important fight news, too! 

Make sure to follow/subscribe to our podcast feed for more great coverage on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!

Unbeaten world champ Raymond Muratalla ready to go for his latest title defense, but first, he's here with us on a special "Fight Freaks Unite Podcast" conversation with our insider Dan Rafael.

Muratalla will make his second IBF world lightweight title defense against former junior lightweight titlist Robson Conceicao in the co-feature of the vacant WBC lightweight title bout between Lamont Roach Jr. and William Zepeda on “The Fight” on DAZN, TNT and truTV on Aug.

Murtalla talks about his title win early this year over Cuban star Andy Cruz and now will fight another brilliant amateur turned pro champion in Conceicao. He also has aspirations to unfiy at 135 lb., as well.

Hear him go over it all with Dan on this "Fight Freaks Unite Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on this feed through Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.

Off a weekend that had only one prominent card in California, we recap it, plus were joined by a world champ and we have lots of fight news, too, on the "Fight Freaks Unite Recap Podcast!"

Host T.J. Rives and insider Dan Rafael of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack are back with their insight and opinions.

First, they recap Saturday night’s Matchroom Boxing DAZN card in Carson, California

Super middleweight Diego Pacheco TKO11 Immanuwel Aleem. A mismatch and what's now for the talented Pacheco?

Next Lightweight Andy Cruz TKO3 Abraham Montoya for another overmatched bout and now Cruz wants to move down to 130 lb.? Apparently.

And, Dan has more on featherweight Albert Gonzalez KO2 Aaron Alameda, bantamweight Bruno Rios Jr. W10 Saul Sanchez and heavyweight Leo Atang TKO2 Glen Williams on the undercard. 
Then, an Interview with IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla

He makes his first defense August 1 on “The Fight” co-feature on DAZN, TNT, truTV on the Lamont Roach Jr. vs. William Zepeda vacant WBC lightweight title fight card in Las Vegas. He has thoughts on opponent Robson Conceicao and wanting to unifiy the division titles, too.
 
Then, some news

Former middleweight and junior middleweight titleholder Jermall Charlo was denied a visa by the Australian government on Friday, causing his 10-round super middleweight fight against Koen Mazoudier on this coming Saturday’s Spence-Tszyu PPV card to be canceled. Dan has the latest.

Golden Boy Promotions, WBC interim junior middleweight titlist Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Rick Mirigian, Ortiz’s manager, announced on Friday that they “have reached an amicable settlement resolving all outstanding disputes.” Ortiz remains with Golden Boy and will be back this fall.  

Women’s featherweight champion Amanda Serrano is returns to defend against  Lucrecia Manzur seeking the all-time women’s knockout record on August 21 at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California, in the headliner of an MVP card that will stream onTikTok.  

Lineal cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia will return to the United States for his second fight in a row when he defends against an opponent to be determined on the undercard of WBC welterweight titlist Ryan Garcia’s first defense against Conor Benn on Sept. 12 (Paramount+) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, per a sources with direct knowledge of the plans to Dan.

And, former IBF featherweight titlist Luis Alberto Lopez has signed with ProBox and will debut for the company on Septtember 11 vs. TBA in the San Diego area.

Hear it all on the "Fight Freaks Unite Recap Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!

We are back on a little slower weekend with one prominent show in California, but we have plenty of fight news and great nostalgia, too on the "Big Fight Weekend Preview Podcast"

Host T.J. Rives is back with insider Dan Rafael of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack and Newsletter

First it's a preview of Saturday’s Matchroom Boxing DAZN card at Carson, CA
Diego Pacheco vs. Immanuwel Aleem, 12 rounds, super middleweights. Will Pacheco be more impressive than he's been recently?
Andy Cruz vs. Abraham Montoya, 10 rounds, lightweights in the co feature.
Plus,Albert Gonzalez vs. Aaron Lopez Alameda, 10 rounds, featherweights and Leo Atang vs. Glen Williams, 6 rounds, heavyweights down the undercard 

Then, NEWS:

Official and announced Wednesday: Ryan Garcia will defend the WBC welterweight title against Conor Benn on September 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and on Paramount+ on a Ring-branded card but also promoted by Golden Boy and Zuffa. It's finally done- how and why did it get worked out.

Next, Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Golden Boy have “reached a deal in principle” that will end their litigation and get the unbeaten WBC interim junior middleweight titlist back in the ring, Ortiz manager Rick Mirigian told Dan that.arbitration had been postponed until September already due the arbitrator’s schedule conflict but now won’t be needed.

Also, Errol Spence arrived in Australia for next week’s Tim Tszyu fight but with the weight changed from 158 lb. to the middleweight limit of 160. Meanwhile, Jermall Charlo remains in Houston awaiting a visa to go through. He was supposed to have already left. He fights  Koen Mazoudier at super middleweight in the co-feature.

Next Saturday’s Anthony Joshua-Kristian Prenga DAZN PPV undercard in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was finally announced and includes two world title bouts.  Making their first defenses will be WBO super middleweight titlist Hamzah Sheeraz against Simon Zachenhuber and IBF junior middleweight titleholder Josh Kelly against Caoimhin Agyarko.Why is Sheeraz fighting another joke fight just 60 days after the last one? Dan has more.

The third edition of “The Fight” on DAZN/TNT/truTV on Sept. 4 is official: Former unified heavyweight titlist Andy Ruiz Jr. returns for his first fight with Matchroom and a 25-month layoff to face Damian Knyba at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. In the co-feature, new Matchroom Boxing signee middleweight Vito Mielnicki Jr. will face Austin “Ammo” Williams and lightweight prospect Zaquin Moses, of Newark and cousin of Shakur Stevenson, will face an opponent to be determined in his first eight-rounder. We discuss it all.
And, finally some nostalgia -

July 13, 2001 — 25 years ago on Monday – the best fight in ESPN2 Friday Night Fights history, the epic Micky Ward-Emanuel Augustus (then Burton). Dan LOVES this bout.

Hear it all on the "Big Fight Weekend Preview Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!