Big Fight Weekend Boxing Podcast

It was an intriguing and bizarre at times weekend of action in Ireland and New Jersey and we're ready to recap Katie Taylor's "Farewell Fight" and former unified heavyweight champ Andy Ruiz comeback to title contntion ending before it began. And we're going over it all on the "Fight Freaks Unite Recap Podcast!"

Host T.J. Rives returns with insider Dan Rafael of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack and Newsletter with all the takes.

They start with Saturday’s Matchroom Boxing DAZN card at famed Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland

Junior welterweight Katie Taylor W10 Flora Pili, retains WBO/IBF/WBA, wins vacant WBC women’s title to become undisputed again. What a night in fron of over 80,000 fans in one of the greatest scenes in the history of women's boxing.

Also, heavyweight Dave Allen No Contest 1 Thomas Carty after Carty fell head first out of the ring to the floor! And, Welterweight Paddy Donovan TKO4 Tyrone McKenna too.

Then they discuss Friday’s Matchroom Boxing DAZN/TNT card in Newark, N.J.

Heavyweight Damian Knyba W12 Andy Ruiz Jr. with a debacle from the referee after Ruiz was down in the seventh and Knyba was the better fighter to upset Ruiz. The guys have more on Ruiz obviously suffering from age and inactivity.

In the co-feature, middleweight Vito Mielnicki Jr. W10 Austin “Ammo” Williams to help his title contention hopes, but  Lightweight Eridson Garcia stunned rising Alan Chaves over 10 rounds. Plus,
lightweight Zaquin Moses TKO5 Angel Contreras.  

Next some news
It's our obligatory Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua update on the newest nonsense / now, maybe it will be in the UK, and Eddie Hearn is accusing TKO of trying to talk directly to Joshua. Will this fight happen at all in November?

Then, the WBO orders middleweight titlist Denzel Bentley to next fight mandatory challenger Yoenli Hernandez, messing up plans for a Bentley unification with Aaron McKenna that had been agreed to in recent days.

And, per Hearn, super middleweight Diego Pacheco will have a Los Angeles hometown fight on Nov. 13 in the headliner of “The Fight” on DAZN and TNT. Opponent TBA.

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

Coming up Saturday night September 12th in Las Vegas, Conor Benn goes for the WBC Welterweight title meeting Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas.

However, before the Brit takes on Garcia, he talked one on one with our insider Dan Rafael on several subjects.

They discussed his two trremendous battles last year with Chris Eubank Jr., with Benn avenging a narrow loss in the "Fight of the Year" in May 2025, by dominating Eubank in thei November rematch. They also discuss what it would mean to win a WBC world title like his hall of fame father, Nigel Benn, And, they also go over the matchup with the massively popular and dangerous punching Garcia in one of the biggest fights of 2026.

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

We are ready to go for the Labor Day holiday weekend with a former heavyweight champ in action in NJ, an Irish hero with a huge farewell fight looming and also, Conor Benn joins us too! All of this is on the newest "Big Fight Weekend Preview Podcast!"

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

First, they talk Friday night Matchroom’s “The Fight” card on DAZN/TNT/truTV in Newark, New Jersey

Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Damian Knyba, 12 rounds, heavyweight contender battle. Ruiz back from two years off and only three fights in the last six years. Will he have something in this one?
Also, Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Austin “Ammo” Williams, 12 rounds, middleweights and 
Alan Chaves vs. Eridson Garcia, 10 rounds, WBO Latino lightweights  

Then, the Saturday Matchroom/DAZN card 80,00-seat sold-out Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland for Katie Taylor’s farewell fight
Taylor vs. Flora Pili, for Taylor’s WBO/IBF/WBA and vacant WBC women’s junior welterweight title 

Next, Benn's interview, as he challenges Ryan Garcia for the WBC welterweight title on Sept. 12 (Paramount+) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Benn is emotional in this interview for the massive fight coming up.
 
Then, some news

Do we need to do a Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua update? Probably, but there's nothing definite, at least as of Thursday night,.

And, Emanuel Navarrete and O’Shaquie Foster met kickoff presser was Wednesday in San Antonio.  for the three belt unified 130 lb  fight. There are also some quality names on the undercard also announced.

Raymond Muratalla has vacated the IBF lightweight title, informing the organization of his decision on Tuesday, Carl Moretti of Top Rank, Muratalla’s promoter, told Dan this week.
 Next, WBO featherweight titlist Rafael Espinoza is now being trained by Eddy Reynoso alongside Canelo Alvarez in San Diego. And, Espinoza plans to fight Oct. 31 in Riyadh on the Canelo-Mbilli card vs. mandatory challenger Lorenzo Parra.

And, we wrap with Nostalgia! Hall of Famer Erik Morales celebrated his 50th birthday on Tuesday. All-time great won world titles in four divisions. Dan gives you more!

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

It was supposed to be a coronation, but Filip Hrgovic had other ideas and has won a portion of the heavyweight crown. We are ready to recap his shocking turnaround upset, go over other prominent title bouts and more 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 ready to roll the sleeves up and talk about it all.

First, they recap Saturday’s Queensberry DAZN PPV main event at The O2 Arena in London

Heavyweight Filip Hrgovic stunning TKO9 Moses Itauma, wins the vacant IBF title. It was amazing, as Itauma had dominated the first eight rounds but was also getting more and more tired from the sixth round on and then, a huge KO for the Croatian. They recap the amazing turn of events and now, what's next for both?
 
Next, Saturday’s ProBoxTV main event at Galen Center in Los Angeles

Super middleweight Lester Martinez TKO10 Luka Plantic, retains the WBC interim title. Martinez still moving up.
 
Then, Saturday’s MVPW-06 ESPN+ card at bp pulse in Birmingham, England

Junior middleweight Chantelle Cameron W10 Mikaela Mayer, retains WBO, wins WBC/WBA women’s titles. it was a convincing win and a less than classy post-fight for Mayer. And in the co-feature,
Lightweight Caroline Dubois W10 Amelia Moore, retains WBC/WBO women’s title.
 
And, also, Saturday's Matchroom Boxing/Boxstars DAZN main event in Guadalajara, Mexico
Junior lightweight Mauricio Lara TKO2 Carlos Ornelas, it was short but a tremendous shootout
 
Next, some news and fight announcements
Queensberry Promotions makse three Fall card announcements.

-- WBO heavyweight titlist Daniel Dubois vs. Fabio Wardley in a rematch on Oct. 17 at The O2 in London. They faced off in the ring before Hrgovic-Itauma and it is likely the "Fight of the Year" to this point and now they will do it again.

-- Joshua Buatsi vs. Willy Hutchinson in a rematch for the vacant WBC light heavyweight title on Nov. 7 in Manchester, England

And,
-- WBA junior lightweight titlist Anthony Cacace vs. Nick Ball, Dec. 19 in Belfast

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

Coming up Saturday night September 5th in Dublin, Ireland, arguably the greatest female fighter of the modern boxing era is potentially fighting her final fight, as Katie Taylor returns.

And before fight week begins for her at the massive Croke Park, she joins our insider Dan Rafael in this one on one conversation.

Taylor, who's been the undisputed women's champion in two divisions, says will be the last fight of her legendary career before an expected sellout crowd of about 80,000.

The former Gold Medalist and Irish national hero will defend her three junior welterweight titles and box for the vacant WBC belt against Flora Pili in an attempt to become a three-time undisputed champion.

Katie reflects on her success, her massive fights in the USA with fellow legend Amanda Serrano and looks ahead to the future for her and women's boxing, too.

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