The Opening Bell; A boxing podcast

TANK GOES MISSING | ORTIZ vs OSCAR | CRUZ vs MURATELLA | ZUFFA MAKE MOVES

The career of Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis is surely over following the latest charges placed against his name… That he’s nowhere to be found won’t help, either.

Zuffa prepare to show the boxing world what they’ve made of but is the signing of Jai Opetaia a more accurate indicator of their long-term plans?

Vergil Ortiz made his own plans clear when he filed a lawsuit against Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy. Whether the world’s appetite is really there for a Boots Ennis showdown remains to be seen.

Elsewhere there’s more grandiose plans to break attendance records and we look ahead to this weekend’s terrific Cruz-Muratella showdown.

And, in this week, it’s back to 1981 for a cultured exhibition from a peak Alexis Arguello.
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DYNAMITE DALTON SMITH | TYSON FURY RETURNS | ANTHONY JOSHUA | INOUE vs NAKATANI

Reflections on the inspirational performance from Dalton Smith out in Brooklyn where he stood tall to upset Subriel Matias in five violent rounds.

The almost inevitable comeback of Tyson Fury was all but confirmed over Christmas but what do his predictions about future brain damage tell us about the lure of fighting?

Japan awaits the Inoue-Nakatani showdown but have their most recent performances dampened the appeal?

Finally, let us take you back to New Orleans in 1972 when Joe Frazier dismantled an honest but overmatched Terry Daniels in four rounds.

Keep listening, folks!
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LESSONS IN POSITIVITY | JOE GALLAGHER

Joe Gallagher, one of the heroes of 2025, tells The Opening Bell how he found the mental strength to beat cancer.

There were times, he admits, when his pride was dented but not once did he allow fears about the worst case scenario to linger.

‘It was always f*** cancer, I will beat you,’ he tells us. From the long nights in hospital to the days he forced himself into the gym, Gallagher’s bravery alongside the sport that drove him prove to be the heroes of the tale.

Essential listening!
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2025 has been some year in boxing. A strange, noisy, unforgettable year that demanded our attention whether we wanted to give it or not.

There were great nights in packed stadiums where fighters shone and reminded us why we keep coming back. Skill, courage, timing, the simple beauty of it all when everything clicks. And then there were the moments that only boxing could serve up. Former unified heavyweight champions of the world flattening YouTubers, and just about everything in between.

It’s been another year of mouth open, stand back in awe moments. Properly transfixed stuff. It’s also been a year full of head shaking, eyebrow raising episodes that make you wonder how long you can keep following this sport with a straight face. And yet, here we are.

Because boxing does that. It pulls you close, pushes you away, and then drags you back in just when you think you’ve had enough.

Join Alex Steedman as he looks back at a boxing year that won’t be forgotten, for all the right reasons, and a few of the wrong ones too.
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Boxing fans got what they wanted when Anthony Joshua knocked out Jake Paul, breaking his jaw in two places. Or did they?

That Paul lasted into the sixth round has only given the supposed imposter an even bigger platform to shout from. That he suffered a broken jaw is now his most treasured badge of honour.

What did it all really say about both, though? Was Paul better than we expected? Was Joshua worse than we feared? And where does this leave boxing as 2026 approaches?

Elsewhere, Troy Williamson continues his incredible comeback when he knocked out Callum Simpson in 10 rounds, Craig Richards turned back a spirited Dan Azeez, and Lawrence Okolie won again at heavyweight.

Meanwhile, in America, Terence Crawford retired to leave fans debating his place in history.

Merry Christmas you lovely lot. Thank you, so much, for your ongoing support.
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