Big Fight Weekend Boxing Podcast

We are back with a jammed packed weekend of action in London and Las Vegas, plus a world champ joins us in advance of his unficiation showdown later in the month. 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 with all the info and takes.

First, a preview of Saturday’s Queensberry DAZN PPV fight in London
Daniel Dubois vs. Fabio Wardley, rematch, 12 rounds, for Dubois’ WBO heavyweight title. It was fantastic dramatic fight in May. Will the rematch live up to fight one or will Dubois dominate like he did in the back half of the first bout?
 
Next, they preview Saturday night PBC DAZN/TNT/truTV “The Fight” in Las Vegas
Sebastian Fundora vs. Ermal Hadribeaj, for Fundora’s WBC junior middleweight title. The dominant guy at 154 lb. is back and will he get much of a challenge?
 
In the co-feature, Brandon Figueroa vs. Tomoki Kameda, for Figueroa’s WBA featherweight title. Will Figueroa deliver a big win and set himself up at 126 lb.?
 
And, a solid undercard bout Armando Resendiz vs. Koen Mazoudier, super middleweights is discussed.
 
Next O'Shaquie Foster joins Dan, as he faces Emanuel Navarrete in a three-belt junior lightweight unification fight in the Top Rank main event on Oct. 25 on DAZN in San Antonio.
 
News
WBA middleweight titlist Erisandy Lara will defend against Tim Tszyu in Noveber in Australia. Will be a PBC/DAZN fight in the US. Dan's reporting is the bout will be Nov. 27 or 28. 

An update that two prominent worldwide sporting events have now been postponed in Saudi Arabia. So, what will happen shortly with Canelo Alvarez fighting Christian Mbilli on Ocober 31st? Will it go ahead or perhaps be called off this weekend?
 
Next, Zuffa Boxing announced Tuesday it has signed WBC titlist Carlos Adames, adding to their middleweight roster (WBO titlist Denzel Bentley and IBF titlist Aaron McKenna are also there. We update when Adames might be in the ring?
 
WBO flyweight titlist Anthony Olascuaga, who has long been promoted by Japan’s Teiken Promotions, has signed a multi-fight co-promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing and will against two-time Colombian Olympian Yuberjen Martinez Nov. 14 on the Pacheco-Fukghum co-feature in Carson, Calif. – a home fight LA’s Olascuaga
 
Former WBA middleweight champion Jorge Castro (130-11-3, 90 KOs), who won he dramatic 1994 fight of the year and also split two fights with Roberto Duran, died on Wednesday in his hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 59. Dan has more on his incredible longevity career.
 
And, Happy 37th birthday to Anthony Joshua on Thursday and also birthday of John L. Sullivan 168 years ago!!!!

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

Saturday night in London, it's a highly anticipated heavyweight title rematch for Daniel Dubois as he battles Fabio Wardley for the WBO portion of the championship. But, before it all gets ramped up in the U,K., we've got an early preview of things here on the "Fight Freaks Unite Podcast" mid-week.

Host T.J. Rives returns with lead writer/editor of Big Fight Weekend's website, Ricky Carroll, who's in England for this one.

It was a wild first fight in May, as Dubois got off the canvas, not once but twice, early in the bout and then brutally beat Wardley for 7 rounds or so, until a TKO stoppage in the 11th to recapture a world title belt.

Now, the guys discuss the magnitude of this rematch for the British fight fans and is the build up similar or bigger than last year with Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn and their tremendous first fight followed by their late in 2025 second bout?

Also, there is analysis from Ricky on whether Wardley can summon a different strategy/outcome or is he destined to be beaten up by the brutish Dubois, again?

Also, the winner of this bouts has serious unifications options with Filip Hrgovic and Agit Kabayel or dare we say, the winner of Fury/Joshua in December?

All of it's discussed in advance of Dubois-Wardley II here on a special "Fight Freaks Unite Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe to this feed for more this bout and all the action through Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!

It was a big night for Floyd Schofield Saturday and we have lots of news to go over and more on the "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, a recap of Saturday's Golden Boy DAZN card in Chicago
Lightweight Floyd Schofield defeats Lucas Bahdi by decision and wins vacant WBA title. Schofield realizes the dream of winning a world title and opens up some options down the road. 

In the co-feature, flyweight Sergio Mendoza TKO5 Ricardo Sandoval in an upset and wins the WBC/WBA titles. Plus, lightweight Jahmal Harvey KO3 Pedro Castaneda in another impressive win early in his career.
 
Also, a recap of the Thursday night Eye of the Tiger main event in Quebec City
Super middleweight young star Osleys Iglesias TKO7 Oliver Zaren and retains IBF title. Iglesias has a huge future.
 
News
To the backdrop of intensifying war in Saudi Arabia, where the Riyadh airport has been attacked multiple times this weekend with several deaths and hundreds injured in missile attacks, Turki Alalshikh has posted to social media on Sunday that Canelo reached out to him and told him he’ll still fight in Riyadh October 31 no matter what happens. We are now not so sure and have the latest.
 
There are advanced talks for Deontay Wilder-Jai Opetaia, as the possible  Fury-Joshua co-feature December 11th. Dan has more for Wilder's manager Shelly Finkel.
 
Next, David Benavidez vacates the WBC light heavyweight and WBA regular light heavyweight ahead of planned Dec 5 three-belt cruiser unification with WBC titlist Michal Cieslak. Along with this the WBC, as expected, announced that the Joshua Buatsi-Willy Hutchinson rematch on Nov. 7, initially for the vacant interim title, will be for the vacant WBC world title.
 
Also, planned for Benavidez-Cieslak co-feature: Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Keith Thurman at middleweight. We have more.

Sadly, all-time great and 1995 Hall of Fame inductee Wilfredo Gomez, who won titles in three divisions and was one of the best punchers ever, died on Saturday night at age 69. Dan eulogizes him properly for his amazing career.
 
And, Jake Paul, who has been out of action since suffering a broken jaw in two places in a titanic knockout loss to former unified heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua in December is cleared to resume boxing. TJ specifically isn't that enthused that the "Jake Paul Boxing" hasn't run it's course. They debate.

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

He's one of the harder punching, action fighters in the smaller weight classes and newly crowned WBA Featherweight champ Brandon Figueroa is ready to defend coming October 17th in Las Vegas.

First, the two division world champ spends time with our insider Dan Rafael one on one before his battle with Japan's Tomoki Kameda in a 12-round co-main event of the PBC card to be shown on DAZN and TNT Sports.

Figueroa (27-2-1, 20 KOs) enters the fight following one of the finest performances of his career. In February, the 29-year-old traveled to the United Kingdom and stunned the hometown crowd by stopping Nick Ball in dramatic fashion in the 12th round.Figueroa had previously defeated Joet Gonzalez last July, rebounding from a decision loss to Stephen Fulton Jr. in their February rematch that cost him his WBC 126-pound title.

The Weslaco, Texas, native has built his reputation on relentless pressure, nonstop aggression and an all-action fighting style. In 2023, he captured the interim WBC featherweight title with a unanimous decision victory over former champion Mark Magsayo in a fight widely considered a potential Fight of the Year contender.

Figueroa also made history in May 2021 when he handed former two-division champion Luis Nery his first professional defeat, stopping him with a body shot in the seventh round to capture the WBC junior featherweight world title.Now trained by respected boxing coach Manny Robles, Figueroa continues to build on his family's championship legacy.

Across the ring will be a seasoned challenger with plenty of championship experience of his own. Kameda (42-5, 23 KOs), a native of Osaka, Japan, earned the nickname “El Mexicanito” after moving to Mexico as an amateur to sharpen his skills..The 35-year-old made his biggest impact on the American boxing scene in 2015, when he faced champion Jamie McDonnell in two high-profile, action-packed bouts.

Kameda pushed McDonnell in both contests but came up short on the scorecards each time.Kameda later challenged for two additional world titles and put together a five-fight winning streak before suffering a decision defeat to then-super bantamweight world champion Rey Vargas.Most recently, Kameda took on featherweight world champion Angelo Leo in May 2025, losing a close decision after winning six of his previous seven fights.

Figueroa has big plans at featherweight, but he must get it done with the tough Japnese opponent first on October 17th. 

And, you are hearing him on our "Big Fight Weekend Podcast" feed. Make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.!

A Two Title Fight Card in Chicago to go over and also the WBA featherweight champ joins us, as part of the latest "Big Fight Weekend Preview Podcast!"

Host T.J. Rives returns with insider Dan Rafael of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack and Newsletter are back with their takes.

First, they preview Saturday’s Golden Boy DAZN card in Chicago
Floyd Schofield vs. Lucas Bahdi, 12 rounds, for vacant WBA lightweight title. Both fighters can punch but neither has been active. We break it down.

In the co-feature Ricardo Sandoval vs. Sergio Mendoza, 12 rounds, for Sandoval’s WBC/WBA flyweight title. Mendoza replaces the WBO/IBF champ Oscar Collago who is injured, but will he challenge Sandoval?

And, on the undercard Jahmal Harvey vs. Pedro Castaneda, 8 rounds, lightweights and also, Jan Paul Rivera vs. Abraham Perfecto, 10 rounds, junior lightweights.
 
Then, it's Brandon Figueroa joining us, as he defends the WBA featherweight title for the first time against Tomoki Kameda on PBC’s DAZN card Oct. 17 show. He's in the co-feature of Sebastian Fundora vs. Ermal Hadribeaj headliner. Plus, he talks to Dan about the possible unification bouts at 126 lb., too.
 
Then, some news

Jermall Charlo, who has not fought for 17 months and been limited just two fights since 2021 due to legal, mental health and visa issues, will see his layoff extended yet again. He suffered an undisclosed training injury and is out of a super middleweight fight with Koen Mazoudier on PBC’s “The Fight” card Oct. 17. Now, former WBA super middleweight titlist Armando Resendiz, who was on standby and in training, will face Mazoudier.

The undercard for Canelo Alvarez-Christian Mbilli on October 31st has been announced and wait, WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?! with WBA super middleweight champ Jaime Munguia and who he wants to fight, instead of his mandatory challenger? Dan is ready to go off!
 
Also, to the surprise of probably nobody, heavyweight Derek Chisora, the British fan favorite, is ending a retirement from earlier this year. And, he is aiming for a December fight with WBA titlist Murat Gassiev. 
 
It's now official, former unified middleweight titlist Janibek Alimkhanuly and Jacob Bank have a deal for the vacant WBO super middleweight title.
 
And, per Dan's sources, Terms have been agreed to for a fight between welterweight Arnold Barboza Jr. and Oscar Duarte, the junior welterweight contender, who will move up in weight for the bout that will headline a Golden Boy card on DAZN in January.

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