Big Fight Weekend Boxing Podcast

We're back off a weekend that has seen a championship thumping in Vegas and a British heavyweight rising star scores another big KO. And, we're ready to break it all down on the newest "Fight Freaks Unite Recap Show!"

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

First a recap of Saturday’s PBC on Prime Video PPV
Junior middleweight Sebastian Fundora TKO6 Keith Thurman, retains WBC title. It was a beatiing that Keith Thurman didn't agree with, but everyone else thought was correct. We discuss. In the co-feature
junior middleweight Yoenis Tellez W10 Brian Mendoza. Tellez could be next for Fundora? Pluls, more on middleweight Yoenli Hernandez TKO4 Terrell Gausha and heavyweight Gurgen Hovhannisyan TKO5 Cesar Navarro. 

Next a recap Saturday’s Queensberry DAZN main event in Manchester, England (DAZN)
Heavyweight Moses Itauma continues a roll with a KO5 of veteran of Jermaine Franklin. We discuss his rise and does he get a title shot soon?

Then, some news

Manny Pacquiao-Ruslan Provodnikov exhibition for April 18th postponed and now, Floyd Mayweather claims the fight he signed to rematch Manny won’t be an official fight?! And, he says it might not be at the Sphere!!? What are we doing here?!

Per Dan's reporting, the fight between lineal and unified light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and IBF mandatory challenger Michael Eifert will top an RCC Promotions card in Ekaterinburg, Russia, in May, and won’t be on the Oleksandr Usyk card in Egypt.  

And, the guys spend some time contemplating the 60th anniversary of Bob Arum promoting his first fight on March 29th, 1966 and he's still going strong now, at 94 years old! 

It's all part of the "Fight Freaks Unite Recap Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!

We're back wtih a championship PPV showdown in Las Vegas, a heavyweight rising star in Manchester, England and a former world champion joins us in conversation on the newest "Big Fight Weekend Preview Podcast!"

Host T.J. Rives is back with insider Dan Rafael to go over it all.

First they talk the Saturday "PBC on Prime PPV" in Las Vegas
Sebastian Fundora vs. Keith Thurman, 12 rounds, for Fundora’s WBC junior middleweight title. Fundora with the massive height and reach, but the veteran Thurman could pose a threat. 

On the undercard Yoenis Tellez vs. Brian Mendoza, 10 rounds, junior middleweights and Yoenli Hernandez vs. Terrell Gausha, 10 rounds, middleweights. Plus, we have big Gurgen Hovhannisyan vs. Cesar Navarro, 10 rounds, heavyweights  

Then, Saturday's Queensberry main event on DAZN in Manchester
Unbeaten Moses Itauma vs. Jermaine Franklin, 10 rounds, heavyweights. Dan is intrigued as this is the first "real guy" Itauma is in with in his 2026 debut. 

Then it's Tim Tszyu in an interview with Dan
Tszyu fights Denis Nurja in a 10-rounder at 157 live on Prime Video on April 4 US prime time (April 5 in Wollongong, Australia) looking to set up planned summer Errol Spnece Jr. fight. Hear them discuss why Tszyu wants to risk the bigger payday fighting this bout in his homeland?
 
Next, Some NEWS
Golden Boy Promotions and DAZN announce a new multi-year rights deal after a very long negotiation. Dan's sources tell him it’s a 2-year deal with option language for an extension. They discuss what it could mean, pricewise, for fans paying for DAZN, too.

Some good news- Isis Sio, 19-year-old the novice female junior flyweight who was  brutally knocked out on Saturday night, is out of a medically induced coma and has been almost miraculously been released from the hospital just days later.

On Tuesday, the U.S. House in voice vote (massively bipartisan) passed the Zuffa Boxing-based "Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act." Soon a Senate vote will come before it would go the president’s desk to be signed into law. Oscar De La Hoya says he will be in Washington speaking with Senators hoping to stop it. We have more.

Also, the IBF announced it has formally stripped Jai Opetaia of its cruiserweight title 2 weeks after it withdrew sanction of his March 8 bout vs. Brandon Glanton on the Zuffa Boxing card. This story is far from over, however.

IBF featherweight titleholder Angelo Leo will take on mandatory challenger Ra’eese Aleem on May 9 (DAZN) on a Salita Promotions card at Gateway Center Arena in Atlanta. We have the details.

And, off his win last Saturday, WBC middleweight titleholder Carlos Adames indicated on social media that he is moving up to super middleweight following his rout of Austin Williams last Saturday. 

It's all part of the "Big Fight Weekend Preview Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!

We're back off an entertaining weekend of action, as the WBC middleweight crown was on the line in Orlando, FL, an interim super middleweight title fight in California and was it the end for a featherweight big name contender in Ireland? We go over it all on the latest "Fight Freaks Unite Recap Podcast!"

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

First, a recap of Saturday’s Matchroom DAZN card in Orlando, Florida
Middleweight Carlos Adames dominates Austin "Ammo" Williams over 12 rounds and retains the WBC title, Now, what's next?

Also on the card, junior middleweight Omari Jones was impressive in a decision over Christian Gomez and Heavyweight Teremoana Teremoana KOs Curtis Harper with one shot. Dan has more on both.

Then, a recap of Saturday’s ProBoxTV card in San Bernardino, California
Super middleweight Lester Martinez wins easily too over 12 rounds over Immanuwel Aleem, andwins the "vacant" interim WBC 168 lb. Now, do we get a rematch with Christian Mbilli?

Plus, Dan's No. 7 prospect, featherweight Albert “Chop Chop” Gonzalez smashes Brandon Chambers in the first. BIG future for Chop Chop.

And, a recap of Friday’s MF Pro main event on DAZN in Belfast, Northern Ireland
Featherweight Kevin Walsh of Massachuesetts gets a controversial split over home country favorite Michael Conlan, And, Conlan announces retirement after fight.
 
Then, Some news
Negotiations are going on for WBO/WBA junior middleweight titleholder Xander Zayas to defend against WBA interim titlist Jaron “Boots” Ennis in a fight targeted for June now that Vergil Ortiz-Ennis talks are dead for now. We like this.... if it happens.
 
There are reports that Golden Boy Promotions and DAZN will announce a new contract in the coming days. Oscar is hinting at it and what does this mean for the DAZN subscription price rising, too?

Dan is reporting on plans for new WBC welterweight titlist Ryan Garcia make his first defense headlining a Ring magazine card in mid-July.  Dan has more on Garcia's hand injury.

And, light heavyweight up-and-comer Ben Whittaker, the flashy 2020 British Olympic silver medalist many tab for surefire stardom, will be back for his second fight with Matchroom on the undercard of WBO interim light heavyweight titlist Callum Smith’s first defense against David Morrell on April 18 (DAZN) at M&S Bank Arena in Smith’s hometown of Liverpool, England.

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

We are back for a weekend that has compelling title fights in Orlando and California and we have lots of fight news to go over, too, on the newest "Big Fight Weekend Preview Podcast!"

Host T.J. Rives returns with insider Dan Rafael of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack and newsletter to go over it all

First a preview of the Saturday Matchroom DAZN card in Orlando, Florida
Carlos Adames vs. Austin Williams, 12 rounds, for Adames’ WBC middleweight title. Adames had problems making weight two months ago to postpone this one. And, "Ammo" Williams can fight. We have some analysis.

Also, former Olympian Omari Jones vs. Christian Gomez, 8 rounds, junior middleweights. And massive Teremoana Teremoana vs. Curtis Harper, 8 rounds, heavyweights. We have more on those two bouts.

Then, a preview of Saturday's ProBoxTV main event in San Bernardino, California
Lester Martinez vs. Immanuwel Aleem, for vacant WBC interim super middleweight title. Martinez is an action fighter looking to move up in the status in 168 lb. ranks.

Some News 
Top Rank back in business. Press conference was on Wednesday at New York’s Madison Square Garden to announce their multi-year deal with DAZN. We have more on some of the specifics and does it mean that another prominent promotion, Golden Boy, is now out in the cold with DAZN?

Next, WBC junior welterweight titlist Dalton Smith and former titleholder and mandatory challenger Alberto Puello two weeks after their mandatory was ordered have a deal. Paperwork being finalized for June 6th in a Matchroom Boxing headlined in Smith’s hometown of Sheffield, England. Dan has more.

With Frank Sanchez-Richard Torrez Jr. IBF heavyweight eliminator postponed, PBC made some changes to the Sebastian Fundora-Keith Thurman PBC on Prime Video pay-per-view card on March 28: New co-feature is a junior middleweight fight between former interim titleholders Yoenis Tellez and Brian Mendoza.
-- Middleweight bout between Yoenli Hernandez Terrell Gausha intact --
New PPV opener: 10-round heavyweight fight between promising Gurgen Hovhannisyan and Cesar Navarro
-- Super middleweight fight between Elijah Garcia and Kevin Newman II was the opener but now will be the final bout of the free prelims on Prime Video.

Also, PBC officially announces David Benavidez-Zurdo Ramirez PPV undercard on May 2: 
WBA super mddleweight titlist Armando Reséndiz defends vs. Jaime Munguía 
Junior welterweight Oscar Duarte vs. Angel Fierro 
Junior middleweight Isaac Lucero vs. Alan Sandoval  

And, back to Top Rank, which has promoted heavyweight Jared Anderson for his entire career, is in talks with Queensberry Promotions about a co-promotional deal, that could start with his appearance the Wardley-Dubois card May 9th. Dan has more on why this move and they discuss is Anderson still motivated to be a a great fighter or not?

It's all part of the "Big Fight Weekend Preview Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.

Coming up Saturday night March 28th in Las Vegas, former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman will challenge WBC junior middleweight champ Sebastian Fundora in an intriguing "PBC on Prime" PPV main event.

But before we get to that fight week, hear "One Time" with our insider Dan Rafael in a one on one conversation.

Can Thurman recapture his championship form of the 2010's despite a series of long layoffs that have him having fought only twice since 2019? His only career loss is to future hall of famer Manny Pacquiao and he did demonstrate somethig by going to Australia and getting a KO of Brock Jarvis.

Also, what about the imposing height and reach of the champion Fundora in this matchup?

Thurman always has something to say on any and all subjects, and he doesn't disappoint here on this special "Fight Freaks Unite Podcast." And, make sure to follow/subscribe to this feed on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!