Big Fight Weekend Boxing Podcast

It's a light weekend of fights with one English main event of note, but we have lots of news, including Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua meet the media. 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 to break it all down.

First, they preview Saturday’s Matchroom Boxing DAZN card in Birmingham, England
Unbeaten Englishman Ben Whittaker vs. Conor Wallace, 12 rounds, IBF light heavyweight eliminator. Whittaker is on the rise, but hasn't really fought anyone. We discuss this more. Plus, Odel Kamara (pro debut) meets Thodoris Ritzakis, 4 rounds, junior middleweights. He's got a big amateur background and this will begin his career.
 
Then, some news
Fury-Joshua held their presser on Wednesday in London. The guys go over:
-They discussed their long ago sparring session
-They seemed to like they liked each other
-No Dana White but Nick Khan there sitting next to Turki Alashikh in the front row.
-- And, the British Boxing Board of Control has revealed who the official promoters are and Zuffa isn’t one of them. It’s SELA, Matchroom Boxing and Queensberry Promotions.
 
FINALLY, Canelo Alvarez-Christian Mbilli now officially has the date October 31,with the Saudi Arabia site, and  tickets formally announced this week. We have the latest

Per Dan's reporting, Denzel Bentley has signed a multi-fight contract with Zuffa Boxing and PLANS to vacate (he hasn’t yet) the WBO middleweight title. He will make his debut for the company vs. TBA Nov. 7 in London on Chris Billam-Smith- Chev Clarke card
 
Queensberry announces WBC heavyweight titlist Agit Kabayel will make first defense vs. Nelson Hysa (who pulled out, but they worked it out and he signed). Fight will be Nov. 28 in a DAZN headliner at Merkur Spiel-Arena, a stadium with a retractable roof that will seat around 60,000, in Dusseldorf, Germany. This is an interesting venue and Kabayel will have options if he wins.
 
Very interest, Turki Alashkh has sold controlling interest of The Ring magazine to DAZN. Alashikh is also having a rough time with his health as he admitted at the press conference Wednesday. So, does this indicate that the massive money from the Saudis is now starting to correct and lessen moving forward?
 
And, although there is still talk of legend Manny Pacquiao maybe returning on the Fury-Joshua card, it won’t be vs. Shakur Stevenson. Stevenson will fight some other time and there have been discussions between his team and PBC for a unification with WBA titlist Gary Antuanne Russell.

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

It's an exciting and at times, chaotic, time for British fight fans with the Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua circus, etc. and we tackle it all on a new "Fight Freaks Unite Podcast" 

Host T.J. Rives is back with English boxing writer and historian, David Payne, of his own site www.boxingwriter.co.uk.

The guys go all the way in on the silliness that the Fury-Joshua squabbling has produced. Will they have the planned Wednesday news conference for the proposed December 11th showdown at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales? Plus, how damaged are these guys now, as their world class championship days are clearly behind both? David has great perspective on all.

Next, the guys talk Conor Benn, off being demolished in less than two rounds by Ryan Garcia earlier this month. What will become of him in the short term? Does he really have a future at 154 or 160 lb., if a welterweight, who's barely been a welterweight, could kayo him like that? And, David talks the comparisons with his legendary, hall of fame father, Nigel Benn, too.

Finally, T.J. wants David's takes on the talented, but still not a true drawing, superstar, yet, Hamzah Sheeraz. The guys debate whether he's being very smart with his career or has mismanaged it by giving up his WBO super middleweight crown?

It's EXCELLENT perspective between the guys for what's going on with U,K. fights, fighters and storylines. 

And, it's all on this edition of the "Fight Freaks Unite Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe to this podcast feed on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!

It was a weekend of championship fights in Japan, some contender cards in England and more and we'll recap it all with some fight news, too on the newest "Fight Freaks Unite Recap 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 recap the Teiken Boxing card Sunday in Toyko
Bantamweight Takuma Inoue W12 Tenshin Nasukawa 2, retains WBC banatamweight crown. Now, what's next?

In the co-feature, junior featherweight Sam Goodman W12 Ryosuke Nishida, wins vacant IBF interim 122 lb. title and also under the undercard:
Junior bantamweight Ricardo Malajika W12 split Tomoya Tsuboi, wins vacant WBC 115 lb. crown
Strawweight Ryusei Matsumoto W12 Russell Acosta, wins vacant WBO interim 105 lb. title.
 
Next, a recap of the Queensberry DAZN main event Saturday in Birmingham, England
Featherweight Liam Davies TKO7 Nathaniel Collins, retains European title. A big step for Davies towards toward title contention.
 
Also, a recap of Zuffa Boxing bouts on Saturday in London
Heavyweight Johnny Fisher W10 maj. vs. Michael Pirotton, heavys. Competitive fight but Fisher has gone about as far as he can. Also, light heavyweight Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic W10 Craig Richards. Big win for Hot Rod in this situation.
 
Also, another recap with the Friday night main event in Fuji City, Japan
Junior flyweight Thanongsak Simsri TKO2 Mark Vicelles, retains IBF title for the second time
 
And then a recap Friday night main event in Lowel, Indiana
40-year-old Phillip Triantafillo (now 5-3) W6 former two-time heavyweight titleholder Hasim Rahman, 53, who had been retired since 2014, at a VFW hall. This was PATHETIC with Rahman even being allowed to fight.
 
Then, to the NEWS
Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua already in jeopardy only a few days after it was officially announced due to Dana White's involvement. Can this be smoothed or is this the final straw that ends the bout now and Joshua, specifically takes another fight?
 
And, Zuffa Boxing announces Zuffa 12 main event on Nov.7 in London, former WBO cruiserweight titlist Chris Billam-Smith vs. British countryman Chev Clarke. Dan has more.

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

We finally have an official announcement for the biggest fight in British boxing history, plus we preview several fight cards, including a world title bout on Sunday in Japan. All 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 go over it all.

They start with BIG NEWS!!
Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua is on December 11th in Cardiff, Wales. Officially announced for Netflix workdwide. PLENTY to discuss here—Dana White is the promoter per press release, Dan has been in touch with Eddie Hearn, who says no way, he's not involved. We have that and more.

Then to the fights,
 
First, Saturday’s Queensberry DAZN main event in Birmingham, England (DAZN)
Liam Davies vs. Nathaniel Collins, 12 rounds, for Davies’ European featherweight title. The winner gets in the picture as a 126 lb. contender.
 
Also, Saturday’s Zuffa Boxing Paramount+/Sky Sports card in London
Johnny Fisher vs. Michael Pirotton, 10 rounds, heavyweights and 
Craig Richards vs. Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic, 10 rounds, light heavyweights
 
Sunday’s Teiken Boxing DAZN card in Tokyo, Japan
Takuma Inoue vs. Tenshin Nasukawa, rematch, for Inoue’s WBC bantamweight title. The younger brother of "The Monster" is looking to make a bigger name on his own.

MORE NEWS
Strong probability that the Canelo Alvarez-Christian Mbilli card scheduled for Oct. 31 in Riyadh will be postponed and moved to a new location because of the war in Iran. How long is the delay and where might it go?
 
Next, key WBA orders, including Teofimo Lopez-Jack Catterall and Jack Munguia-Bek Melikuziev mandatories and David Benavidez requested to decide his division of either crusierweight or light heavyweight. Will Lopez, Munguia and Benavidez care??
 
Terrific fight is off -- WBC/WBA flyweight titleholder Ricardo Sandoval defending against lineal and WBO/WBA strawweight champion Oscar Collazo, who would have moved up to weight classes but suffered a rib injury. Was to be co-feature Floyd Schofield-Lucas Bahdi Golden Boy card Oct.10th. Now what will happen?
 
And, the WBC ordered middleweight titlist Carlos Adames vs. mandatory challenger Meiirim Nursultanov after interim titlist Jesus Ramos fell out of the fight with Nursultunov last week. Winner mandated to fight Ramos next year. Will Adames go along?
 
Finally, with Hamzah Sheeraz vacating WBO super middleweight title they order mandatory challenger Janibek Alimkhanuly vs. unbeaten Jacob Bank for vacant title.

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

It was a little bit of a light weekend in San Diego and Manchester, England but there were a couple of fights to recap and we've got the latest on Ryan Garcia, Fury-Joshua and more on the newest "Fight Freaks Unite Recap Podcast!"

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

First, they talk the PBC on DAZN card on Saturday night in San Diego
Junior welterweight Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz KO6 Nestor Bravo, retains WBC interim title. It was a brutal, fouling fight that Cruz eventuallly won with one punch and also, he's now the latest to call out Ryan Garcia, who responded on social media  "let’s do it." 
 
Also, Super middleweight Daniel Blancas TKO7 Sergio Jimenez, who Dan described as TOUGH AS NAILS for taking the punishment he did.

And, middleweight Marco Verde TKO5 Guillermo Hernandez and another middleweight Eumir Marcial KO3 Omar Ulises Huerta. Dan has more.
 
The also talk WBC interim middleweight titlist Jesus Ramos Jr. falling ill and was hospitalized on Thursday night. So, his PBC co-feature vs. mandatory fight vs. Meiirim Nursultanov was canceled.
 
Also, they breakdown the Matchrooom Boxing DAZN main event Sat in Manchester, England
Cruiserweight Pat Brown KO6 John Hedges, wins vacant British & Commonwealth title. Dan is getting more excited about Brown's prospects in the future.
 
Then, some news
The latest on possible Ryan Garcia-Teofimo Lopez fight and "contact" being made by both sides.,

Our obligatory update on Joshua-Fury and Eddie Hearn’s comments at fgs Manchester show about drug testing issues with the fighters having different clauses and rules in their contracts. Say what?!
 
Next, Hamzah Sheeraz on Friday vacated the WBO super middleweight title because he was not satisfied with his cut of the winning purse bid made by his promoter, Queensberry, on Thursday. This was for his mandatory defense against former unified middleweight titlist Janibek Alimkhanuly. WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?!
 
Plus, just what the world needs: on January 1, the British Boxing Board of Control will begin recognizing a new weight class, the light cruiserweight division, which will have limit of 187 pounds. Also, WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?!  Another weight division??

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