Big Fight Weekend Boxing Podcast

Off of a controversial wekend in Vegas, where it ended up that Jai Opetaia of Australia was NOT the IBF champiion any longer for fighting the Zuffa Boxing main event, we're ready to recap his victory in the ring, have some other fight news and more on the 'Fight Freaks Unite Recap" Podcast!

Host T.J. Rives and insider Dan Rafael of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack and Newsletter have their insight on it all.

They begin with the background of the IBF stripping Opetaia just before the bout in Las Vegas with American Brandon Glanton- a fight that the Aussie won easily over 12 rounds. It was still for the Ring Magazine version of the crusierweight crown and  for Opetaia’s lineal cruiserweight title, but Dan wants to konw- WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?!

The guys have thoughts, including the ramifications for Opetaia down the road, etc.

Also, there's a recap of former WBA featherweight titlist Mauricio Lara scoring a TKO2 over Mexican countryman Rafael Rosas on Saturday night in the main event of the Boxstrs/Chiquita Boxing card that headlined the ESPN "Knock Out" telecast.  

Then, some news:

WBO welterweight titleholder Devin Haney and WBA titlist Rolando Romero are negotiating a unification fight targeted for May 30 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The bout would be PBC on Prime Video PPV and Dan has also latest.

Next, undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue will defend his crown against three-division titleholder Junto Nakatani in the long-expected and highly anticipated showdown on May 2nd at the Tokyodome in Tokyo, Ohashi Promotions announced at a news conference on Friday in Tokyo. This is a tremendous all Japanese matchup that we are looking forward to for May.

We have more on Friday’s announcement of the Most Valuable Promotions/ESPN deal that is long term for women's boxing to regularly be part of ESPN's linear channel and their other platforms over a multi-year deal. Alycia Baumgardner headlines the first U.S. show in April.

The WBC has ordered junior welterweight titlist Dalton Smith to make his first defense against mandatory challenger and former titleholder Alberto Puello. A purse bid on April 3rd will happen, if no deal is reached before then.

And, Mario Barrios announced that he will move up to junior middleweight in the wake of losing the WBC welterweight title by near-shutout decision to Ryan Garcia last month.

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

We are back and ready for a "Title" Fight at cruiserweight, but curious as to which title is at stake in Las Vegas Sunday night. We sort that and preview that matchup and have some fight news on the "Big Fight Weekend Preview" Podcast!

Host T.J. Rives is back with insider Dan Rafael to go over it all.

They start with Sunday night’s Zuffa Boxing main event at the Apex in Las Vegas
Jai Opetaia vs. Brandon Glanton, for Opetaia’s lineal cruiserweight title, the Ring Magazine belt, the Zuffa new title, but what about Opetaia's IBF championship? That's unclear. We have the latest. 
 
Then, some news

Golden Boy Promotions won a legal victory in United States District Court in Nevada on Monday night, as Judge Cristina Silva keeps Golden Boy's interim injunctive relief preventing, at least for now, Vergil Ortiz from contracting for the Jarpm Ennis. She has ordered the case be settled in arbitration. We explain what it all means for now?

Then, William Zepeda and Lamont Roach Jr. will fight for the vacant WBC lightweight title stripped from Shakur Stevenson last month. However, how is the "interim" WBC 135 lb. champ Jadier Herrera not involved?

Floyd Mayweather announces another exhibition- this one for June 27 in Athens, Greece, vs. Mike Zambidis, a retired Greek kickboxer who won a variety of world titles in various promotions during his 2000 to 2015 career.  How many exhibitions are we up to with Floyd before he rematches Pacquiao in September?

MVP is hosting a press conference at Madison Square Garden on Friday for what it says is a major announcement. Per Dan's reporting, it will be to announce an April 17 card involving Alycia Baumgardner in a unified women’s junior lightweight title defense vs. former lightweight title challenger Bo Mi Re Shin of Korea with the card on ESPN as the first of multiple ESPN events.  

Eddie Hearn announced Thursday he has signed UFC heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall as his first client of the newly created Matchroom Talent Agency. Will put him negotiating with Dana White on Aspinnal’s UFC fight. That should be fun to hear Eddie talk about how underpaid UFC fighters are. We go over the latest in the fued.

And, with Oscar Duarte having his title shot vs. Richardson Hitchins canceled the day of the fight from the Barrios-Garcia card,  Golden Boy tells Dan they plan to add him to the May 2 Benavidez-Zurdo PPV card.

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

Coming up Sunday night in Las Vegas, IBF cruiserweight champ Jai Opetaia will make his debut with Zuffa Boxing in their main event.

However, is this fight for his title or will he potentially have to give it up, as Zuffa seems insistent on not doing business with the existing boxing organizations?

Well he addresses that situation and the opponent he's faciing, American Brandon Glanton and more with our insider Dan Rafael. Will the hard hitting, unbeaten Aussie Opetaia get bigger and better fights because of Zuffa or will this quicklly turn into a mess out of the ring for him?

We are about to find out.

Here more from the champ on this "Fight Freaks Unite Podcast" and make sure to follow/subscribe Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.

It was a devastating performance for Mexican star Emanuel Navarrete to become unified champ, plus, we've got the IBF cruiserweight champ Jai Opetaia with us and more on the latest "Fight Freaks Unite Recap Podcast."

Host T.J. Rives is back along with insider Dan Rafael of his Fight Freaks Unite Substack and Newsletter to give their insight and more.

First, they recap Saturday’s Matchroom Boxing DAZN card from Glendale, Arizona
Navarrete dominated and scored a TKO11 over Eduardo "Sugar" Nunez and unifies WBO/IBF 130 lb. titles. It was a great showing, but why did the referee and ring doctor, etc. not stop it quicker? Plus, what's out there for the new unified champ?

And, on the undercard, Emiliano Vargas TKO9 Agustin Quintana, junior welterweights and upset as Abel Ramos W10 split decision over prospect Tahmir Smalls at welterweight
 

Next, Jai Opetaia joins Dan, as next Sunday March 8th he defends the lineal, and supposedly the IBF cruiserweight title against Brandon Glanton in the main event of the Zuffa Boxing card at the Apex in Las Vegas on Paramount+. Hear Opetaia on why he's signed with Zuffa and what he expects in this one and beyond?

Then, NEWS
Lineal/unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk will fight Rico Verhoeven, a former longtime kickboxing heavyweight champion and regarded as one of the greatest kickboxers ever, in the main event of a Ring magazine card on May 23 (DAZN PPV) outdoors to the exotic backdrop of the Pyramids of Giza in Giza, Egypt. On Sunday, the WBC announced it will sanction it as a title fight. WBA and IBF have both told me they have not been contacted about the bout.

Ryan Garcia healing from a sprained right hand in his win over Mario Barrios but said on social media he will be back this summer and wants to fight Devin Haney in a rematch/unification fight.

Discussions for a fight between Edgar Berlanga and Chris Eubank Jr. possibly at super middleweight. Both need a win.
The exodus of talent continues in drips from Top Rank as former WBO featherweight titlist and two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez announced Friday that his contract with Top Rank has expired and that he is a free agent.

And, Queensberry Promotions is headed to France as its international expansion continues in April with a DAZN card in Paris headlined by French heavyweight Tony Yoka vs. former cruserweight champ, Lawrence Okolie and junior middleweight up-and-comer Bakary Samake vs. Ermal Hadribeaj in the co-feature.  

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

We're back with a potential exciting junior lightweight battle in Arizona for unification as the most prominent fight of the weekend and some very interesting 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 return with their insight and takes

Preview Saturday’s Matchroom Boxing DAZN card in Glendale, Arizona

Emanuel Navarrete vs. Eduardo Nunez, WBO/IBF junior lightweight unification. Both guys can really punch and also get hit. We have thoughts on the battle. Plus,
Tahmir Smalls vs. Abel Ramos, 10 rounds, welterweights
Emiliano Vargas vs. Agustin Quintana, 10 rounds, junior welterweights  

News 
Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao rematch announced Monday for Sept. 19 at the Sphere in Las Vegas and on Netflix in a bout that counts on the recrods. Both are in their late 40's and it's 11 years after they fought. What ARE WE DOING HERE?!

Conor Benn’s one-fight, $15 million fight with Zuffa/Turki Alashikh will be against Regis Prograis in a 10-rounder at 150 pounds on the Tyson Fury-Arslanbek Makhmudov card it was announced on Thursday. Will make him by far the highest paid undercard fight of all time.  

Jake Paul announced he had to have a second surgery on the broken jaw he suffered in the sixth-round knockout loss to Anthony Joshua on Dec.19. Will we see him again in 2026?

Katie Taylor, one of the greatest female boxers of all time, announced she will have a farewell fight later this year in Dublin. We have more.

Claressa Shields shutout over Franchon Crews Dezurn on Sunday night to retain the women’s undisputed heavyweight title  in their rematch. Huge crowd of about 18,000 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.  

WBO/IBF middleweight titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly was suspended by the WBO for a year – but allowed to keep the title -- and by the Kazakhstan Professional Boxing Federation for six months. This is related to testing positive for the banned substance Meldonium days before he was scheduled to face WBA titlist Erislandy Lara in a three-belt unification fight on Dec. 6. The IBF has yet to rule. He gets to keep the belts?!  Again, WHAT are we doing here?! 

Also, WBC middleweight titlist Carlos Adames will make his third defense in a rescheduled bout against Austin “Ammo” Williams in the main event of a quickly scheduled Matchroom Boxing card on March 21 (DAZN) at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida.  

And, finally, the IBF on Monday ordered junior welterweight titlist Richardson Hitchins to next make his mandatory defense against Lindolfo Delgado. This comes days after Hitchins’ optional against Oscar Duarte was canceled when Hitchins became ill and was vomiting after breakfast on the morning of the fight. We explain why Duarte isn't getting the title fight, for now.

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