Big Fight Weekend Boxing Podcast

We're back with our first preview show of 2026 with a heavyweight main event in Germany and a world junior welterweight title fight in Brooklyn, NY to discuss on the "BFW Preview Podcast!"Host T.J. Rives returns with insider Dan Rafael of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack and NewsletterThey begin with a Preview of the Saturday Queensberry/DAZN card from Oberhausen, GermanyAgit Kabayel vs. Damian Knyba, 12 rounds, for Kabayel’s WBC interim heavyweight title. Kabayel is little known in the U.S. but can position himself for a serious payday and possible world title fight with a win. Plus, Jadier Herrera vs. Ricardo Nunez, 12 rounds, for vacant WBC interim lightweight title. Dan hss more on Herrera's potential.Then, they talk Saturday's Fresh Productions PPV card from Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY (yes we've not heard of them either)Subriel Matias vs. Dalton Smith, 12 rounds, for Matias’ WBC junior welterweight title. Will the hard hitting Matias get the best of the unbeaten Brit? And, some newsDan is reporting on lineal/unified light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol’s and his plans to return in April following back surgery in August. Plus, whom is he looking at fighting?Next WBA junior lightweight titlist James "Jazza" Dickens, whose defense on the Night of the Samurai card last month was canceled last minute due to opponent injury, will make his first defense against former IBF titlist Anthony Cacace on March 14 (DAZN). This fight is on St. Patrick’s Day weekend — at 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland, Queensberry Promotions announced the show. Also, Canelo Alvarez and now, Jaime Munguia have both turned positions to fight Osleys Iglesias for the vacant IBF super middleweight title. Who will Iglesias end up fightiing?And, Tuesday’s IBF final heavyweight eliminator purse bid for the fight between Frank Sanchez and Richard Torrez Jr. postponed because they are close to a deal for the fight to likely land on a February or March on a PBC PPV card. Dan has more.It's all part of the "Big Fight Weekend Preview Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.! 

It's a brand new year in 2026 and for the first time, our guys are back to recap the weekend action in Puerto Rico and have some fight nrews too on the "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.First a recap of the Saturday MVP DAZN bouts in San Juan, Puerto RicoFeatherweight Amanda Serrano W10 Reina Tellez, retains WBO/WBA women’s title. What's next for one of the women's all time greats? Plus, lightweight Stephanie Han scores tech dec after 7 rounds over Holly Holm and retains WBA women’s title. Could she be a Serrano opponent? And, flyweight Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez surprises with a 12 round win over Yankiel Rivera and wins vacant WBA interim title.Also, a recap of the December 31st Shisei Promotions main event in TokyoKazuto Ioka, who was making his bantamweight debut, put himself in position to win a world title in a fifth weight division when he knocked out Maikel Ordosgoitti in the fourth round of a WBA title eliminator. Dan loves him some Japanese boxing and has more!NewsAnthony Joshua injured in a car accident in Nigeria on Monday that killed two of his close friends and members of his training team, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele. Joshua released from the hospital on Wednesday. Boxing is a distant priority, but does this mean Joshua might not be in the ring for a longer amount of time?Related- To zero surprise, Tyson Fury posted on Instagram that he is coming out of the retirement. ABSOLUTE SHOCKER!  Dand and TJ discuss.Next, Matchroom announced it has signed WBO bantamweight titlist Christian Medina and that he will make his first defense at home in Guadalajara on Feb. 6 (DAZN) vs. countryman Adrian Curiel, 26, a former IBF junior flyweight titlist.  Due to illness, welterweight contender Paddy Donovan has withdrawn from an IBF final eliminator against former junior welterweight titlist Liam Paro scheduled for Jan. 16. No Limit said Paro would remain on the card if a suitable replacement can be found. The winner would have become the mandatory challenger for IBF titlist Lewis Crocker.  Jake Paul is dropped from new WBA cruiserweight rankings.... that he should have never been ranked in. We have more. Also, Terence Crawford officially vacated the WBA super middleweight title, the last one, and WBA has elevated interim titlist Armando Resendiz.  In the IBF it invited No. 1 contender Osleys Iglesias and former champion Canelo Alvarez to fight for the vacant title. Canelo not taking it as he is still sidelined after elbow surgery. Next up to accept the position will be Jamie Mungia. Stay tuned.It's all part of the "Fight Freaks Unite Recap Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.! 

It's a great debate on what the "Fight of the Year" for 2025 should be and why? And, we're ready to have that debate on this special "Fight Freaks Unite Podcsat!"Host T.J. Rives and insider Dan Rafel of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack are back to go over what they think were the best battles in the boxing ring for this year.They discuss:Honorable Mentions first- Pitbull Cruz vs. Angel Fierro in an all action battleBrits Callum Smith-Joshua Buatsi tangle for a light heavyweight great fightChristian Mbilli-Lester Martinez slugged it out on the Canelo-Crawford undercardAbdullah Mason of the USA against Sam Noakes of England in a toe-to-toe slugfestPlus, WBC junior flyweight titlist Carlos Canizales-Panya Pradabsri rematchThen, it's a great conversation on what is the fight of 2025??Chris Eubank Jr.- Conor Benn 1 in London orKenshiro Teragi - Seigo Akui battle for the unified flyweight beltsHear the guys and their takes on these matchups and why they were so good on the "Fight Freaks Unite" podcast feed and find more great content here on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!

We have come to the end of the calendar year of 2025 and it's time to crank up a debate about which boxer deserves "Figther of the Year" status for work done this year? We're ready to debate on this special "Fight Freaks Unite Podcast!"Host T.J. Rives and insider Dan Rafael of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack and Newsletter are back to go over it?In a debate of future hall of famers Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue, which resume was better in 2025? And, how much consideration should someone like Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez or Dmitry Bivol be given in the conversation, too?Hear the guys go over it and make their selections for Fighter of the Year on this pod! And, make sure that you follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.

It's the final weekend of 2025 and we're back to recap the prominent world title card of the weekend in Saudi Arabia and give you some other worldwide fight recaps and news too on the "Fight Freaks Unite Recap Podcast!"Host T.J. Rives is back with insider Dan Rafael of the Fight Freaks Unite Substack and Newsletter have their takes.First a recap of Saturday’s Ring V: "Night of the Samurai" DAZN PPV card from Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaJunior featherweight Naoya Inoue scores a one sided unanimous decision over Alan David Picasso, retains undisputed title. Should Inoue have gone harder for the KO? And now....He'll fight new junior featherweight Junto Nakatani, who had a tough battle and won close with Sebastian Hernandez in the co-feature. The guys have more on Nakatani struggling at the higher weight and what does it mean for the Inoue battle in the first part of 2026?Also, on the card- lightweight Eridson Garcia won a 10 round split decision over Taiga Imanaga, plus, junior featherweight Reito Tsutsumi TKO4 Leobardo Quintana.The IBF junior bantamweight title fight with champ Willibaldo Garcia vs. Kenshiro Teraji was canceled after the ceremonial weigh-in, Garcia was ill and hospitalized. Dan has the latest. Also, they recap Saturday’s Kameda Promotions main event in Tokoname, JapanFlyweight Masamichi Yabuki TKO12 Felix Alvarado, retains IBF title. Impressive win for Yabuki. And, a brief recap from WednesdayHeavyweight Ike Ibeabuchi, 52, the former top contender, who was in the second fight of his return after 26 years (most spent in prison) suffered his first defeat, a 12-round decision to Nigerian countryman Kabiru Towolawi in Lagos, Nigeria. And, some newsTurki Alashikh announces undercard for Ring VI Teofimo-Shakur event on Jan. 31 at MSGKeyshawn Davis vs. Jamaine Ortiz, 12 rounds, junior welterweightsBruce “Shu Shu” Carrington vs. Carlos Castro, 12 rounds, for vacant WBC featherweight titleCarlos Adames vs. Austin “Ammo” Williams, 12 rounds, for Adames’ WBC middleweight titleJarrell Miller vs. Kingsley Ibeh, 10 rounds, heavyweightsZiyad Almayouf vs. Kevin Castillo, 8 rounds, welterweightsNext, Dan is reporting on some fighters signed by Zuffa Boxing for its new league that begins in January:Former WBA junior welterweight titlist Jose ValenzuelaFormer WBA “regular” welterweight titlist Radzhab Butaev, junior lightweight Justin Viloria and lightweight Eridson GarciaAnd, finally Matchroom Boxing's announcement of some more undercard bouts on the Leigh Wood vs. Josh Warrington 2 show Feb. 21 in Nottingham, EnglandSandy Ryan vs. Karla Zamora, 10 rounds, for vacant WBC women’s junior welterweight titleDavid Allen vs. TBA, 10 rounds, heavyweightsTiah Mai Ayton vs. TBA, 8 rounds, female bantamweightsJunaid Bostan vs. TBA, 10 rounds, junior middleweightsWe have it all on the "Fight Freaks Unite Recap Podcast" and make sure for all the great content on this feed to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.