Big Fight Weekend Boxing Podcast

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.!

Former unified world welterweight champ Errol Spence is set to return to the ring for the first time in three years and he's not taking an easy fight coming back. And, before that bout, he joined our insider Dan Rafael on this "Fight Freaks Unite Podcast!"

He and Dan discuss, whether Spence seroiusly contemplated never fighting again over the last three years after Terence Crawford wiped him out in July 2023 in their undisputed clash? Also, what about traveling to Australia to meet home country star Tim Tszyu in a PBC PPV broadcast on July 25th (USA time).

Will the Texan avoid the ring rust of 36 months away and can he withstand Tszyu's big punching at the heavier weight? And, if he is victorious,what would be next?

It's all part of this "Fight Freaks Unite Podcast" with Errol Spence and Big Dan and make sure to follow/subscribe on this feed on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!

We're back off a lighter weekend with only one prominent fight card, in Russia of all places, too, to recap the world title fight there and have a prominent former world champ join us on the newest "Fight Freaks Unite Recap Podcast!"

Host T.J. Rives is joined by insider Dan Rafael of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack and Newsletter to go over ti all with their takes.

First, they recap Saturday’s IBA Pro card in Moscow

Heavyweight Murat Gassiev TKO6 Peter Kadiru, retains WBA title in a one sided fight. Afterwards, Derek Chisora was in the ring to challenge Gassiev to a fight. What. Are. We.Doing. Here?!

In the co-featuere heavyweight Artem Suslenkov TKO11 Joe Joyce, who is CLEARLY finished at this point. 

Then, it's former unified welterweight champ Errol Spence joining Big Dan for a conversation. It is his first fight in three years, as Spence will move up in weight and face fellow former world titleholder Tim Tszyu in a middleweight fight that headlines a PBC PPV card July 25th U.S. time. Hear them discuss his layoff, the challenge of fighting in Australia and more.

Then, some news

The Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn non-announcement at Friday’s UFC weigh-in and the latest on whether this fight is going to get signed and announced for September? 

Per source, Dan says WBO super middleweight titlist Hamzah Sheeraz will make his first defense on July 25th in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on the Anthony Joshua-Kristian Prenga DAZN PPV undercard.

Next, the WBC junior welterweight mandatory between titlist Dalton Smith and former titlist Alberto Puello, postponed from June 6 due to a Smith injury, will be rescheduled for Oct. 24 but Puello will have an interim bout this coming Saturday in his native Dominican Republic.

And, lightweight contender Andy Cruz has a new opponent replacing Alberto Bell in Abraham Montoya on this coming Saturday’s Matchroom Boxing card, but it won’t an IBF eliminator as the Bell fight was supposed to be.

Finally, Sunday is Julio Cesar Chavez's 64th birthday. So let’s celebrate and talk about his greatness.

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

It's the biggest signing by Zuffa Boxing to date, as four division world champ Shakur Stevenson has agreed to a multi-fight deal with them and also benefactor Turki Alashikh.

And, as part of the announcement, our insider Dan Rafael scored a one on one interview wtih Shakur to discuss why he's making this move now? Stevenson is one of the most talented pound for pound fighters in the sport with wins in his last two fights over William Zepeda and beating champ Teofimo Lopez in a Madison Square Garden PPV main event in January.

Plus, what does Stevenson prefer- defending his WBO junior welterweight crown or potentially moving up to the more competitive and lucrative welterweight division?

He's one of the biggest names in boxing and Shakur is part of this "Fight Freaks Unite Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!

We're back and ready for a lighter weekend where the most prominent fight is in Russia, of all places. But, we've got a huge name joining us to discuss his new multi-fight promotional deal, and fight news, as well. It's all part of the "Big Fight Weekend Preview Podcast!' 

Host T.J. Rives is back with insider Dan Rafael of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack and Newsletter are ready to go over it all.

First, they preview of Saturday’s IBA/Epic Sports card on DAZN in Moscow

Murat Gassiev vs. Peter Kadiru, for Gassiev’s WBA “regular” heavyweight title. We go over the matchup with the last minute repladcement German and the tepid impact the fight will likely have, but it's a fight for a portion of the heavyweight crown.

In the co-feature Englishman Joe Joyce vs. Russian prospect Artem Suslenkov, 10 rounds, heavyweights. Does Joyce have anything left or will the Russian mow him down?

Then, hear Shakur Stevenson one on one with Dan

He is interviewed hours after the Thursday announcement of his signing with Zuffa Boxing. They disucss what it means for his next fight and when, etc.?

 Next, some news

WBA welterweight titlist Rolly Romero vs. Teofimo Lopez announced, presser was Thursday in LA. Aug. 22 at T-Mobile Arena. We go over it.

Also announced at their presser – PBC/DAZN deal. We go over some of the details and is it eventually the end of PBC on Amazon Prime?

The back and forth over the timing of Fury-Joshua continues – Turki Alashikh says the fight will be in the U.K. if the main event is at 2 a.m. London time to accommodate U.S. prime time on Netflix, there’s usually an 11 pm local time  curfew for Wembley events. What are we doing here?!

Former unified heavyweight titleholder Andy Ruiz Jr., who has boxed just three times this decade, will return to the ring to fight on DAZN after signing a multi-fight promotional contract with Matchroom Boxing.

And, the WBO a expected has ordered lineal/unified light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and interim titlist Callum Smith to begin negotiating the mandatory fight.

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