Big Fight Weekend Boxing Podcast

We are back off a weekend with world title fights in Mexico and England, including a dramatic KO in the final round for a former champ, who's a champ, again. We have that and fight news, including a hall of famer filing suit for what he says are hundreds of millions owed. It's all part of the "Fight Freaks Unite Recap Podcast!"

Host T.J. Rives is back with insider Dan Rafael of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack And Newsletter

First we talk Saturday’s Queensberry/DAZN main event in Liverpool
Featherweight Brandon Figueroa scores a dramatic TKO12 over Nick Ball and wins the WBA title. The guys discuss the huge final round, the silliness of Ball's corner and supporters after the fight in the ring and what are the options for Figueroa, now?
 
Then, they talk Friday’s Matchroom/BXSTARS/DAZN main event in Guadalajara, Mexico
Bantamweight Christian Medina wins convincingly over Adrian Curiel by decision, retains WBO title.
 
Next some News
Flloyd Mayweather sues Showtime, Stephen Espinoza for $340 million and punitive damages late last week saying he's owed for mega-fights with Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor. Dan has the lawsuit and particulars and the boys discuss.

Talks under way for Fabio Wardley to defend WBO heavyweight title vs. Daniel Dubois. Dan thinks it's compelling... TJ, not so much.

Two-time featherweight title challenger Michael Conlan, the popular two-time Irish Olympian aiming to land another shot, will fight Kevin Walsh in a Belfast, Northern Ireland, hometown bout on March 20 (DAZN) at SSE Arena on an MF Pro card.

And, MVP set for first UK card with four women’s world title fights with Caroline Dubois-Terri Harper headlining in a lightweight unification bout. We discuss.

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

We're back to go over two separate world title main events in both Mexico and England, plus, LOTS of fight news, too on the newest "Big Fight Weekend Preview Podcast!"

Host T.J. Rives and insider Dan Rafael of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack and Newsletter

Previews
Matchroom/BXSTARS card Friday night on DAZN in Guadalajara, Mexico
Christian Medina vs. Adrian Curiel, for Medina’s WBO bantamweight title. Should be a highly competitve world title fight.
Queensberry card Saturday on DAZN in Liverpool, England
Nick Ball vs. Brandon Figueroa, for Ball’s WBA featherweight title. This fight has the makings of an entertaining, brawling battle.
 
News
WBC strips Shakur Stevenson of lightweight belt in an apparent sanctioning fee dispute like with Crawford. We HAVE TAKES! 

Baltimore judge in Gervonta Davis hit and run case issues warrant for his arrest due violating probation terms related the domestic violence case in Miami Gardens, Florida. Will he be doing time again in Baltimore.
 
Bakhram Murtazaliev, who lost the IBF junior middleweight title by majority decision to Josh Kelly last Saturday, has formally asked the IBF to order an immediate rematch. What kind of chance does he have?

Lineal/IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia, who became the first current champion to sign with upstart Zuffa Boxing last month and whose first fight with the company was announced for March 8 (Paramount+) at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, will face Brandon Glanton, per source to Dan.

Mandatory challenger Liam Paro will have the Australian home advantage when he challenges IBF welterweight titlist Lewis Crocker after his promoter, No Limit Boxing, beat Matchoom Boxing in a purse bid on Tuesday. Dan has the details on how it happened.

With Diego Pacheco pulling out of talks with Hamzah Sheeraz for the vacant WBO super middleweight title, Sheeraz will fight Alem Begic (29-0-1, 23 KOs), 38, of Germany, whose record is glittering but whose resume is devoid of a single notable foe. The fight hasn’t been announced yet but, per Dan sources, it will take place May 9 in Manchester, England.  

Nostalgia
First-ever HBO “Boxing After Dark” card at the Forum in Inglewood, California, where Marco Antonio Barrera TKO12 Kennedy McKinney in a spectacular war – Feb. 3, 1996 – 30 years ago on Tuesday. 

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

It was an action packed weekend of big time main event fights in the USA and the U.K. and we're ready to go over it all and have some fight news 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 on the fights and implications for the winners.

First, they go over the Ring 6 DAZN PPV card on Saturday night in New York ]
Shakur Stevenson dominates over 12 Teofimo Lopez and wins lineal/WBO 140 lb. title. A tremendous boxing exhibition and what's next for Shakur?

Also, Keyshawn Davis TKO12 Jamaine Ortiz, 12 rounds, junior welterweights. A bounceback night that the talented Davis needed.

Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington KO9 Carlos Castro and wins vacant WBC featherweight crown. Big night for Shu Shu.

Plus,
Jarrell Miller "loses his lid" in a W10 over Kingsley Ibeh in a heavyweight fight.
Austin “Ammo” Williams defeats Wendy Toussaint by decision.
Kevin Castillo W8  over Saudi prospect Ziyad Almayouf junior welterweights.

Then, the Top Rank card Saturday in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Xander Zayas W12 split decision over Abass Baraou and unifies WBO/WBA 154 lb. tiles. Huge night for Zayas and what's next?

Also, Matchroom Boxing main event on DAZN on Saturday in Newcastle, England
Josh Kelly W12 in an upset over Bakhram Murtazaliev, and wins the IBF 154  lb. What a moment for the Brit and what's next? Is it the name Jaron Ennis?

Finally, some news
Deontay Wilder-Derek Chisora is official for April 4th at The 02 in London  

BWAA and Ring magazine 2025 awards announced and we discuss

Nonito Donaire to fight on in WBA bantamweight eliminator on a big show in Japan March 15th. Why is he continuing?

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

This is a LOADED weekend of action as multiple world title main events are happening in NYC, Puerto Rico and Newcastle, England. And, we're ready for it all, including some fight news, too, on the newest "Big Fight Weekend Preview Podcast!"

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

First, a Preview of the Ring magazine DAZN PPV card Saturday in New York City
Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson, for Lopez’s lineal/WBO junior welterweight title. Shakur moves up against arguably his toughest challenge yet in Lopez. The guys give their thoughts. Plus, a loaded undercard:
Keyshawn Davis returns from disgrace to meet Jamaine Ortiz in a10 round  junior welterweight bout.
Carlos Adames vs. Austin “Ammo” Williams, for Adames’ WBC middleweight title.
Local favoririte Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington vs. Carlos Castro, for the vacant WBC featherweight title and Jarrell Miller vs. Kingsley Ibeh, 10 rounds, heavyweights. Plus, Ziyad Almayouf vs. Kevin Castillo, 8 rounds, junior welterweights
 
Next, it's a preview of the Top Rank card Saturday in San Juan on TR Classics FAST channel
Xander Zayas vs. Abass Baraou, 12 rounds, WBO/WBA junior middleweight unification. A HUGE homecoming fight for the young Zayas, but is Baraou going to be tough? And, rising Rohan Polanco vs. Christian Gomez, 10 rounds, welterweights
 
Then, a preview of the Matchroom Boxing DAZN card Saturday in Newcastle, England
Bakhram Murtazaliev finally returns after 16 months vs. Josh Kelly, 12 rounds, for Murtazaliev’s IBF junior middleweight title.
 
And, a Preview of the Zuffa Boxing Paramount+ card Sunday in Las Vegas
Jose Valenzeula vs. Diego Torres, 10 rounds, lightweights
Serhii Bohachuk vs. Radzhab Butaev, 10 rounds, middleweights
Oleksandr Gvozdyk vs. Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic, 10 rounds, light heavyweights  

NEWS
Tyson Fury’s ring return is official: He will fight Arslanbek Makhmudov in the headliner of a Ring magazine card on April 11, live on Netflix, at a UK site to be announced. We have more.

Gervonta Davis was arrested in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Wednesday, two weeks after a warrant was issued on battery, false imprisonment and attempted kidnapping charges related to an alleged domestic violence incident with a former girlfriend on Oct. 27. Is his career over?

The undercard Mario Barrios-Ryan Garcia announced by Turki Alashikh:
IBF junior welterweight titlist Richardson Hitchins defends against Oscar Duarte, WBA junior welterweight titlist Gary Antuanne Russell against mandatory Andy Hiraoka, Junior welterweight Frank Martin against Nahir Albright and super middleweight Bektemir Melikuziev against Sena Agbeko.  

The WBC announced on Tuesday that Christian Mbilli has been elevated from the organization’s interim super middleweight titleholder to the full world titlist. Who is he fighting next?

And, Warriors Boxing Top Rank both Told big Dan they have reached an agreement for the IBF heavyweight title eliminator between Frank Sanchez and Richard Torrez purse bid canceled. Fight is likely to be on March 28 in Las Vegas on the Sebastian Fundora-Keith Thurman PPV.

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

Coming up Satruday night in NYC at Madison Square Garden it's the return of WBO junior welterweight champ Teofimo Lopez, as he takes on unbeaten WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson in a Ring/Turki Alashikh PPV main event.

But, before fight night, you can hear Teofimo with our insider Dan Rafael on why he took this fight with the fellow American star Stevenson. The New York (Lopez) vs. New Jersey (Stevenson) angle and much more on the possible future for Lopez, if he wins.

It's never dull with Teofimo on the show and he's direct with his thoughts on it all.

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