Big Fight Weekend Boxing Podcast

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.

We're back to recap the weekend from Las Vegas, including Raymond Muratalla defending his IBF Lightweight Crown, plus the Zuffa Boxing innagural card/broadcast took place on Friday night and we have some fight news too 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 give their takes and insight

First, a recap of the Saturday Matchroom DAZN card in Las Vegas
Lightweight Raymond Muratalla W12 majority decision over Andy Cruz and retains IBF title. Why was he so good and what's next for Muratalla? Then, on the undercard 
light heavyweight but massively overweight Khalil Coe wins majority  decision over Jesse Hart,
Junior middleweight Israil Madrimov decisions Luis David Salazar and rising junior middleweight Omari Jones decisions Jerome Baxter. Dan gives some analysis.
 
Then, a recap of Friday’s Zuffa Boxing debut on Paramount+in Las Vegas
Callum Walsh decisions Carlos Ocampo, 10 rounds, middleweights, as expected. And, on the undercard middleweight Misael Rodriguez won over Austin Deanda in 10 rounds and 
Cain Sandoval outpoints Julian Rodrigue in a junior welterweight fight.
Plus, they go over some general thoughts on the launch/production/product of Zuffa and the streamer Paramount+

Next, some news
Lineal/IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia, who became the first current champion to sign with Zuffa Boxing, will defend the title on March 8 at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. But, who's the opponent?

Matchroom Boxing will re-sign unified junior bantamweight champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez. Although he was a free agent, Matchroom retained the right to match any offer and has done so, matching an offer from Zuffa.  

Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who announced earlier this month — to the surprise of nobody — that he would end his latest retirement, is being lined up for an April ring return. Who's the likely opponent for him?

And, Boxxer’s Jan. 31 main event in London, Adam Azim vs. Gustavo Lemos, IBF junior welterweight eliminator for No. 2 spot is postponed after BOTH fighters suffered injuries. 

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

We have some action this weekend in Las Vegas to discuss and the WBO 140 lb. champ joins us too on the "BFW 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 they talk the debut of the Zuffa Boxing/Paramount+ card from Las Vegas
Callum Walsh vs. Carlos Ocampo, 10 rounds, middleweights
Misael Rodriguez vs. Austin Deanda, 10 rounds, middleweights
Cain Sandoval vs. Julian Rodriguez, 10 rounds, junior welterweights
 
Then, they preview the Saturday night Matchroom Boxing/DAZN card in Las Vegas
Raymond Muratalla vs. Andy Cruz, 12 rounds, for Muratalla’s IBF lightweight title
Israil Madrimov vs. Luis David Salazar, 10 rounds, middleweights Khalil Coe vs. Jesse Hart, 10 rounds, light heavyweights Omari Jones vs. Jerome Baxter, 6 rounds, junior middleweights  

Teofimo Lope INTERVIEW
He defends the lineal/WBO junior welterweight title against WBC lightweight titlist Shakur Stevenson on January 31 on a DAZN PPV at New York’s Madison Square Garden in a big one 

Then, some news
Thoughts on the Mario Barrios-Ryan Garcia kickoff presse on Thuesday

Zuffa Boxing in talks to sign unified heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk?!

Heavyweights Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora are finalizing an April 4 fight in London. What is this? Wasn't Wilder fighting Usyk in the USA?

WBA strips Gervonta Davis (who's still at large from South Florida authorities) of lightweight title, makes him “champion in recess”

Valdez, Top Rank part ways, been together his whole career

Top Rank announces Xander Zayas-Abass Baraou junior middleweight unification fight on January 31 in San Juan will stream live in the United States on its Top Rank Classics FAST channel, still no deal with a broadcaster. There are takes.

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